PAL now ready to transfer to NAIA-3

The country’s flag carrier, Philippine Airlines (PAL), has expressed its readiness to transfer to the controversial Ninoy Aquino International Airport-Terminal III (NAIA-3) after the Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA) allowed it to house both its international and domestic passenger terminal operations in the new facility.

Alfonso Cusi, MIAA general manager, confirmed that they had agreed in principle with PAL officials on the arrangement.

‘But there are a lot of details that still has to be threshed out," Cusi told The Star in a telephone interview yesterday.

In agreeing to the transfer to NAIA-3, PAL had reportedly dismissed the possible legal actions that could be slapped against it by NAIA-3’s builder, the Philippine International Air Terminals Co. (PIATCO), which is fighting the government’s expropriation of the facility.

PIATCO’s build-operate-transfer contract to build the facility was nullified with finality by the Supreme Court in December 2004 due to alleged onerous amendments made to the original contract that made the project highly disadvantageous to the government.

PAL’s transfer to the new facility is considered important for the financial viability of the facility after the government opens it to full commercial operations.

PAL currently has the exclusive use of the NAIA Terminal II, (Centennial Terminal) where it operates its domestic and international flights.

PAL sources confirmed the initial agreement with MIAA.

Other international airlines currently operating at NAIA Terminal I has reportedly expressed resentment over MIAA’s move of allowing PAL to locate its domestic and international operations at NAIA-3.

It was learned that the facility could not accommodate PAL’s domestic and international terminal operations and all the local and foreign airlines with international flights.

Cusi said MIAA was still sticking to its March 2007 schedule for holding a "soft opening" of NAIA-3.

MIAA had earlier planned to hold the soft opening last March 31 but this was called off when a 100-square meter portion of the terminal’s ceiling at the arrival lobby hall a collapsed a mere four days before the scheduled opening.

A subsequent investigation into the cause of the collapse conducted by the Association of Structural Engineers of the Philippines (ASEP) found that the incident was caused by poor workmanship and use of substandard materials.

A structural integrity, safety and operability, and valuation inspection is currently being undertaken by three foreign firms — Ove Arup, Gleads, and TCGI, on the terminal.