NAIA rehab pushed

The consortium of seven conglomerates which offered to rehabilitate the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) is raring to start the upgrade of the country’s main international gateway, and is urging the government to approve its proposal at the soonest possible time.

NAIA Consortium spokesperson Jimbo Reverente said “time is of the essence” because every year’s delay would cost the country opportunity losses in terms of trade, investments, tourism and employment.

He said only the grant of an original proponent status (OPS) is needed for the group’s private proposal to move forward.

“We are ready to start construction right after we get the notice to proceed (NTP) and deliver the first phase of expanding NAIA’s capacity by 2020. We can make this hope and dream into a reality in just two years’ time from NTP issuance,” Reverente said.

The Department of Transportation (DOTr) has recommended the grant of OPS to the NAIA Consortium composed of Aboitiz InfraCapital Inc., AC Infrastructure Holdings Corp., Alliance Global Group Inc., Asia’s Emerging Dragon Corp., Filinvest Development Corp., JG Summit Holdings Inc. and Metro Pacific Investments Corp.

DOTr’s recommendation, however, is not yet final, as approval from the Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA)’s board of directors is still required.

In a text message over the weekend, MIAA general manager Ed Monreal told The

STAR that the OPS has yet to be granted to the proposal of the NAIA Consortium.

Monreal said there is also no target at the moment as to when the proposal would be given the OPS.

The grant of OPS to the NAIA Consortium would give the group the right to match offers from other parties when a Swiss challenge is conducted for the project.

The group initially offered to spend P350 billion for the NAIA’s upgrade for a concession period of 35 years under the

proposal submitted to the DOTr on Feb. 12.

The proposal promises to have a NAIA capacity to match the 2020 projection of 47 million and then bring it up to 65 million by 2022.

NAIA’s four terminals currently handle far more passengers than they were built for, having a capacity for 31 million passengers per year, but handled 42 million last year.

Reverente said the consortium could act quickly because it already has the design, the funds, the technical partner (Changi Airport), and the people to make NAIA what it should be.

He said the consortium’s proposal also does not need any government guarantee, and since it would be privately funded, the government could use instead its funds for other projects like building roads, bridges, schools, and offering other social services like free education.

“The government and the private sector can work together on airport development for quick completion since the stringent rules of the procurement law does not apply to private proponents,” Reverente said.

“We see a NAIA that has more space to make flying a pleasant and memorable experience, just like when we go through airports abroad, including the one in Singapore which Changi Airport operates,” he said.