P-Noy approves NAIA-1 rehab

MANILA, Philippines - President Aquino approved yesterday the rehabilitation of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 1 (NAIA-1), which has been labeled recently by CNN as one of the most hated airports in the world.

Transportation and Communications Secretary Manuel “Mar” Roxas II said the government will spend more than P1.1 billion to undertake the project, which may start on January.

“Our basic guiding principle in this effort will be function and utility, meaning ease of use for the passengers,” Roxas told reporters in Malacañang.

The funds would come from realignments of the budget of the Department of Transportation and Communications and the Manila International Airport Authority.

Roxas said about P500 million would be used for the aesthetics and interior design of the facility. This would involve the replacement of well-worn linoleum floorings, the ceiling and walls and partitions.

It would also entail the replacement of old immigration counters and adding up to 50 percent more such counters. Concessionaires would be moved to another area to ensure the convenience of passengers.

Roxas said P300 million would be spent for the construction of the rapid exit taxiway to address congestion and minimize delays.

He explained that the current NAIA runway system can accommodate 36 take offs or landings per hour or one every one minute and 40 seconds.

Roxas admitted that delays are inevitable since there are about 43 scheduled events per hour. He said the new rapid exit taxiway would shorten runway occupancy time of an aircraft landing.

“(The new rapid exit taxiway) is expected to increase event capacity from 36 to 41 to 43 events,” Roxas said.

The structural upgrades, on the other hand, would cost about P340 million. These include the retrofitting of columns and the reinforcing of slabs.

Another P20 million would be used to improve the 72 toilets of NAIA-1.

“Though these toilers are working, these are subject to ware and tare all these years,” Roxas said.

The rehabilitation project could be completed in about 18 months, he added.

Roxas said the 30-year-old NAIA-1 last underwent a major makeover in 1996 in time for the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation summit.

It was put into service in 1981, with original design capacity for 4.5 million passengers per year, which it reached in 1991. The terminal now caters to 7.3 million passengers per year.

Roxas said they will retain the services of Leandro V. Locsin and Associates, the architectural and engineering firm that designed NAIA-1. He said the firm knows the exact location of the duct works, risers, pipes, water drainages, and other electro-mechanical configurations of the facility.

“We will work with them and avail of their intimate knowledge of the facility,” Roxas said.

He said Singapore’s Changi Airport has verbally agreed to be part of the rehabilitation project.

A team from the Singapore-based airport would provide technical assistance on functional design and systems improvement. Roxas said the team would be sent this month to analyze the site and passenger flows.

Early this month, the CNN ranked NAIA-1 as the fifth most hated airport in the world. A CNN article said NAIA was “beleaguered by ground crew strikes, unkempt conditions, soup kitchen-style lines that feed into more lines and an overall sense of futility.”

Last month, a travel website labeled NAIA-1 as the world’s worst airport.

The website “The Guide to Sleeping in Airports” said bribery and theft exists in NAIA-1 and that the airport is not improving despite the collection of airport taxes. The website based its assessment on factors such as site visitor votes and information provided by airports regarding their facilities.

Roxas is unfazed by these criticisms, saying they will just work to improve the airport.

“I don’t want to get fixated on these labels on NAIA… Our attitude is the customer is always right. We will do what is necessary to rehabilitate the airport,” he said.