Ayala, 3 foreign firms partners for NAIA upgrade

Ayala Group has partnered with 3 foreign firms in preparation for its bid for P74.6 billion upgrade of Ninoy Aquino International Airport under the public-private partnership.

NAIA AIRPORT. Image from Inquirer.net

“We are happy the way our consortium came out. The people who are joining us are coming from a particular core competency and expertise that can add to the project,” says former cabinet secretary Rene Almendras, president and CEO of AC Infrastructure Holdings Corporation, as told to reporters last week.

Not only that, Manuel V. Pangilinan, the incumbent chairman of PLDT have expressed intention to bid for NAIA public-private partnership (PPP) deal as well.

Also, the consortium of Ayala will be battling with Asia’s Emerging Dragon Corporation (AEDC) – a firm built by taipans in 1993 during the term of then president Fidel Ramos.

The winning bidder for the airport PPP project will improve all existing NAIA terminals, covering both landside and airside (except air traffic services), to meet the standards of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO).

Almendras told reporters that it’s not about fixing and making the airport run better, but it’s about doing it to accommodate more passengers.  “We’re focusing on NAIA because we think NAIA is very important to the country. If you don’t fix NAIA, the additional capacity from other airports won’t happen because you won’t be able to bring it to NAIA,” he added.

Sources: www.philstar.com, Manila Bulletin