Aboitiz teams up with Ireland-based daa International for regional airport bids
MANILA, Philippines — Aboitiz InfraCapital Inc. — the infrastructure unit of the Aboitiz Group — on Wednesday said it partnered with Irish airport operations company daa International for the future upgrade, expansion, operations and maintenance of the Bohol-Panglao and Laguindingan airports.
Recently, Aboitiz InfraCapital was granted “original proponent status” for its unsolicited proposals to upgrade the Bohol-Panglao International Airport and Laguindingan Airport in Laguindingan, Misamis Oriental.
In a statement, Aboitiz InfraCapital said the partnership would ensure the transformation of the two airports into “world-class regional gateways.”
daa International is the global airport operations management subsidiary of Ireland’s Dublin Airport Authority with over 75 years experience in airport management ownership and development.
“The European operator boasts of an untarnished record in various airport activities from project design, execution and operations to retail,” the Aboitiz infrastructure business unit said.
“daa International will review and optimize the airports’ O&M plans, define and document processes, train personnel, support the airports’ long-term development, and assist in the implementation of the innovative concepts of ‘connected’ and ‘green’ airports,” it added.
Aboitiz InfraCapital is also part of the “super consortium” that submitted a proposal to upgrade the 70-year-old Ninoy Aquino International Airport. The band of tycoons also secured the OPS for the project.
Calls on the government to fast-track the approval of offers from the private sector to build and operate more gateways outside the capital have taken on new urgency after a Chinese plane skidded onto the grass and blocked the NAIA runway in August 2018 which prompted the cancellation of around 165 international and local flights.
Seeing the deterioration of the Manila airport, the Duterte administration has been entertaining proposals to rehabilitate NAIA and build more regional airports. — Ian Nicolas Cigaral
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