NAIA rehab last SMC airport project – Ang

MANILA, Philippines — The P170.6-billion rehabilitation of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) may be the last chip that San Miguel Corp. (SMC) boss Ramon Ang is placing in the aviation game, for now.

In a forum organized by the Economic Journalists Association of the Philippines, in partnership with SMC, Ang said the NAIA upgrade would probably be the last airport project for SMC in the meantime.

Ang said SMC would be busy putting up the P735.63-billion New Manila International Airport (NMIA) in Bulacan and undertaking the P170.6-billion redevelopment of NAIA.

Likewise, SMC is scheduled to award within the year the contract for the upgrade of the Caticlan Airport. The project will expand the passenger terminal building of the main gateway to Boracay, increasing its capacity to seven million per year.

Moreover, the project will equip the airport with eight jet bridges for ease of access between the terminal and aircraft. Ang said the improvements to the Caticlan Airport should be completed in three years, gearing up the gateway for future demand as Boracay picks up more tourists.

Apart from this, SMC plans to hold the groundbreaking ceremony for the terminal concourse of NMIA by the end of 2024.

Afterward, the conglomerate can begin the construction of what would become the largest airport in the Philippines, scheduled to operate by early 2028 if things go as planned.

SMC, as the head of the New NAIA Infrastructure Corp., will also pursue three phases of NAIA rehabilitation works, with the first segment required to be completed in less than four years.

The first phase of the upgrade involves the improvement of existing facilities in the airport, while the next leg of the project covers the capital-intensive enhancements to the airfield and terminals. The final section of the rehabilitation focuses on the refurbishment of air traffic control.

Ang said SMC’s hands are now full in terms of airport projects. This is why he said the food and infrastructure conglomerate may skip near-term biddings for new airports.

Apart from this, Ang said bidding for another airport would demand time and resources, and this could imperil SMC’s compliance with the timelines of its current projects.

“I think three assigned airports is already too much, (and) we must also focus on these projects to ensure we deliver the quality and adhere to the timelines we have promised,” Ang said.