NAIA Consortium expects Swiss challenge process only in May 2019

MANILA, Philippines — The group of seven conglomerates which has offered to rehabilitate the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) expects the Swiss challenge process for its proposal to take place next year, should it get original proponent status (OPS) from the government. 

NAIA Consortium spokesperson Jose Emmanuel Reverente said the group expects the Swiss challenge to take place in May next year.

He said the expected date for the Swiss challenge is “based on the maximum number of days as prescribed in the law, combined with estimates on what it would take within the NEDA (National Economic and Development Authority) process where there are no prescribed periods, to give the government flexibility that it needs to thoroughly evaluate whether they want to do that quickly or take a long time.”

Should the NAIA Consortium get the OPS and be awarded the project, he said it could take until around third quarter of next year before it could start working on the upgrade. 

An OPS means the proponent would have the right to match the best offer given by another group for the project under a Swiss challenge.

Last Feb. 12, the NAIA Consortium submitted a P350 billion proposal to upgrade the country’s main airport covering a 35-year concession period to the Department of Transportation.

The NAIA Consortium is composed of Aboitiz InfraCapital Inc., AC Infrastructure Holdings Corp., Alliance Global Group Inc., Asia’s Emerging Dragon Corp., Filinvest Development Corp., JG Summit Holdings Inc., and Metro Pacific Investments Corp.

For its proposal, the consortium tapped Changi International Airport, which currently runs the main airport in Singapore, as technical partner.

Under the proposal, the consortium would make improvements and expand the terminals in the existing NAIA land area, as well as develop an additional runway, taxiways, passenger terminals, and associated support infrastructure.

It also involves putting in place a people mover to link the terminals and connect NAIA to the existing mass transport system in Metro Manila, as well as an option for a third runway.

Through the proposal, the consortium aims to increase NAIA’s capacity to 47 million by 2020 and further to 65 million by 2022 from 31 million at present. 

Earlier, Reverente said the NAIA Consortium should be given the notice to proceed from the government within this year so it could start addressing the congestion at the country’s main airport.

NAIA is operating beyond its capacity as it handled 42 million passengers last year.