AIRPORT REPAIR WON’T DISRUPT OPERATIONS, SAYS OFFICIAL

Operations at Ninoy Aquino International Airport (Naia) Terminal 3 will remain business as usual, despite the ongoing two-month maintenance activities to upgrade the electrical systems in the largest and busiest terminal of the country’s main gateway.

The Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA) has made the assurance to the public on Sunday, saying the repair works were “carefully planned to ensure continuous operations, especially during peak hours.”

“The electrical upgrade activities from April 2 to May 28 shall not in any way impede the processing of passengers and baggage, and shall have no disruptive effect on flight operations. There will be light and air-conditioning in major parts of the terminal building during the day,” MIAA general manager Eric Ines said in a statement.

According to the airport chief, the electrical upgrade activities generally involve the replacement of parts or components of the medium circuit breakers across eight different electrical substations in Naia 3.

The window hours for maintenance works would be from 12:01 a.m. to 3 a.m. during the period, which had been timed after the last flight and away from peak hours of operations.

Ines said that based on the schedule, the replacement activities would only take “from a short 15 minutes up to a maximum of three hours, but will not extend into the departure or arrival times of the first flight of the day.”

The area that would be affected during the conduct of the preventive maintenance would be the southern part of Naia 3.

According to the MIAA chief, there would be “an observable reduction” in lighting and air-conditioning in the hallways and lobbies from the first to the fourth level, staircases, certain offices located on the second and third levels, surface parking and multi-level parking.

Elevators and escalators located on this side of the terminal may become inoperative during maintenance hours.

All generator sets at the terminal are on standby for any contingency during the conduct of maintenance works, Ines said.

Power fluctuations shut down the air-conditioning system at Naia Terminal 2 on March 27, just as thousands of Filipinos were about to spend the long Holy Week break and amid the intense heat of summer worsened by the El Niño phenomenon.