DOTC taps global engineering consultants to evaluate NAIA 1 rehab design

The ignominy of the premier gateway to the Philippines’ being named one of the worst airports in the world again and again—and again—has finally led to this: the government has tapped an international design and engineering consulting firm to help with the Ninoy Aquino International Airport’s much-needed, P1.16-billion rehabilitation. According to Transportation and Communications Secretary Jose Emilio Abaya, the government has obtained the services of Arup & Partners to evaluate the plan for the airport’s retrofitting and structural rehabilitation, which would make it conform to 2010 National Structural Code of the Philippines (NSCP). Abaya also said that with the design to be performance-based instead of code-based, the rehabilitation will not shut down operations at the airport. “We will rehabilitate NAIA 1 without [a] decrease in the operations or the complete shutdown. Second, it will be done in a shorter period of time and...probably at a little less cost,” he said. The DOTC turned to Arup after the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) admitted that it did not have the expertise to approve and certify performance-based design. Abaya said that the airport's retrofitting and rehabilitation will be completed within the next 18 to 20 months. In January, the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) approved the budget for the project, with P500 million to be used for architectural, engineering, and interior design and works to improve the airport’s internal facilities; P340 million for urgent retrofitting to improve the terminal’s structural integrity; P300 million to construct two rapid exit taxiways to decongest the runway; and P20 million to rehabilitate all 72 of the airport’s restrooms. Then called the Manila International Airport, NAIA Terminal 1 began operations in 1981 with an original design capacity for 4.5 million passengers per year. It currently handles 7.3 million passengers a year. The airport had its last major makeover in 1996 in time for that year’s Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Leaders’ Summit. Abaya said the DOTC is also looking into adopting a new technology that could increase the number of events—takeoffs and landings—at the airport from the current 40 events per hour to 75 events per hour. If it decides to use the technology, he added, the airport would only need one rapid exit taxiway instead of the two planned. Abaya added that the administration has not yet evaluated—much less decided—whether the country should continue to use a single gateway system through NAIA 1 or establish a two-gateway system by developing the Clark International Airport. — BM, GMA News