REHABILITATING the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) will cost P141 billion, the Department of Transportation (DOTr) said.
The DOTr and the Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA) gave this estimate as they submitted their joint proposal for the NAIA-solicited Public-Private Partnership project to the National Economic Development Authority (NEDA) Board.
This project aims to give the private concessionaire 15 years to operate the airport and recover its investment.
Transport Undersecretary Roberto Lim said they have to get commitment obligations on the part of the private proponent on the kind of investments they would put in NAIA.
“Ang estimate namin, you would have to spend around P141 billion para ma-expand, upgrade, rehabilitate ang NAIA. You have to remember that NAIA is the main gateway of the Philippines and we really need to catch up with improving it, modernizing it using innovation and technology,” Lim said in a public briefing.
“We are suggesting that anybody who wants to join will have to pay upfront P30 billion to the government. ‘Yan ang mga terms and conditions. Kailangan may annual payment of P2 billion per year,” the transport official added.
Government, he noted, would need to have a share in the revenue.
Privatizing NAIA does not mean selling it to the private sector.
“Magbibigay lang tayo ng prangkisa doon sa nanalo with the right to operate, right to rehabilitate,” said Lim.
This is a similar setup with the Mactan-Cebu International Airport and the Clark International Airport, he said.
“Nagbigay lang tayo ng concession para sila ang mag-operate, sila ang mag-manage, sila ang mag-rehabilitate at sila din ang mag-market… Responsibility din ‘yan kasi you are promoting a destination,” he said.
Among other advantages of the PPP is the installation of modern technology to process transactions and systems in the NAIA, as many of the current systems are still manual.
This will also pave the way for the full digitalization of the airport.
“On the terminal side, ang pag-process ng pasahero, kailangan mas mabilis ang move. Magdadagdag ka ng self-backdrop, automated check-in, automated boarding gates, lalagyan ng biometrics,” he said.
“Magkaroon sila ng connectivity kapag dumadaan sila ng terminal, ang mga sign sa airport para hindi na maliligaw ang mga pasahero. Lahat diyan kailangan electronic na,” he said.
In an earlier interview on ANC, Lim said NAIA’s privatization may be implemented by the first quarter of 2024.
Terminal fees may also increase to P800 once the main gateway gets privatized. (ABS-CBN News)
