MIAA undertakes NAIA rehab

The upgraded NAIA airside facilities show that Manila International Airport Authority can pursue development projects at the gateway on its own.

The rehabilitation of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) remains a long-delayed initiative as the government struggles to find a private partner that will agree to its conditions.

However, the government might independently pursue the massive redevelopment project to repair, upgrade and maintain the country’s largest and busiest gateway.

In a statement yesterday, the Department of Transportation (DoTr) said, “The upgraded NAIA airside facilities show that MIAA (Manila International Airport Authority) can pursue development projects at the gateway on its own.”

The DoTr said MIAA is confident that once additional airside-related projects are completed in the next two years, it can — on its own — achieve its airport development goal.

The goal is to facilitate 60 commercial flight movements per hour as contained in the unsolicited proposal, the DoTr said.

The agency pointed out redeveloping NAIA on its own is a “more practical approach, rather than awaiting and being dependent on the unsolicited proposal’s approval.”

“It’s not true that there would be no project development if there are no unsolicited proposals,” Transportation chief Arthur P. Tugade was quoted as saying.

According to General Manager Ed Monreal, MIAA continued its rehabilitation efforts at the NAIA amid pending negotiations with the private sector.

“The (rehabilitation) projects were carried out to bring alive our vision of uplifting the lives of our fellow countrymen through the services we can offer for aviation,” Monreal said The upgraded facilities at the NAIA are anticipated to boost the maximum allowable commercial aircraft movement in the country’s primary gateway.

The government earlier had given the Original Proponent Status (OPS) for the NAIA project to the “super-consortium” formed by seven of the country’s biggest conglomerates.

The previous NAIA consortium said the original terms and conditions of the airport rehabilitation project were no longer viable due to the Covid-19 pandemic. But the government did not budge.

The consortium was formally withdrawn from the project in July 2020.

With the “super consortium” out of the picture, Megawide Construction Corp. proposed to redevelop the country’s busiest gateway for P102 billion.

However, the preferential status on the rehab plan given to Megawide had been terminated shortly for reasons that the government did not disclose.

An OPS serves as government recognition for an unsolicited offer, which typically comes from the private sector as per the Build Operate Transfer Law.

The status grants the right to match the best offer from competitors during the mandated Swiss Challenge to win the project.