Ayala teaming up with three foreign airport operators for NAIA project
THE INFRASTRUCTURE arm of the Ayala Group is partnering with three foreign airport operators as it looks to bid for the P74.6-billion public-private partnership (PPP) project to upgrade the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA).
“For the airport, in the event that it is to be bidded out, our consortium will include three airport operators — three international airport operators... What we’ve done, we put together a consortium of solutions provider since that’s the limitation of NAIA,” AC Infrastructure Holdings Corp. President and Chief Executive Officer Jose Rene D. Almendras told reporters in a recent round-table discussion.
However, he did not disclose the names of the three airport operators.
AC Infrastructure had earlier said it is ready to bid for the NAIA project as it considers the upgrade of the country’s main gateway as necessary to sustain Philippine economic growth.
In September, the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) approved the project to upgrade all four terminals of the country’s main gateway, on top of eight other key projects worth a combined P96.7 billion. The NAIA Development Project includes operation and maintenance to be offered to investors, with a 15- to 20-year concession agreement targeted to be signed in September 2017.
“We’re focusing on NAIA because we think NAIA is very important to the country. If you don’t fix NAIA, the additional capacity from other airports won’t happen because you won’t be able to bring it to NAIA. That’s why we said we want to look at it... If government invites a bid, we’re ready,” Mr. Almendras said.
“It’s not just about fixing it. It’s not just about making it run better. It is about doing it so we can accommodate more passengers until the time we have a new airport.”
Currently, there are unsolicited proposals to build a new airport from two groups, one led by All-Asia Resources & Reclamation Corp., which teamed up with the Sy family’s Belle Corp., for a $50-billion proposal to develop an airport and economic zone at Sangley Point. Another group led by San Miguel Corp.’s Ramon S. Ang had earlier proposed a $10-billion airport on reclaimed land in Manila Bay.
Mr. Almendras had said AC Infrastructure will submit unsolicited proposals to the Duterte administration by next year for projects aimed at decongesting Metro Manila, including plans for the country’s main airport which it considers as a “pain point.”
“NAIA was designed for 30 million people, with maximum capacity of 35 million. Last year, it is already 37 million. There’s a proposal to build a new airport somewhere, go ahead, let’s build that new airport but it takes [time]... so in the meantime, let’s fix it,” he added.
The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has urged the new government to come up with a master plan for the country’s aviation sector — either to build another gateway or maximize other airports outside Metro Manila — in order to boost its possible contribution to the Philippine economy.
Aside from Ayala Group, listed Megawide Construction Corp. and other top conglomerates Metro Pacific Investments Corp., and San Miguel Corp. have shown an interest in the NAIA PPP project. Asia’s Emerging Dragon Corp. (AEDC) of Philippine Airlines (PAL) owner Lucio C. Tan will also make a bid along with Aboitiz Equity Ventures, Inc. which made known its intent to bid for the P74.56-billion NAIA Development Project. —