SAN MIGUEL-LED New NAIA Infra Corp. (NNIC) plans to resolve all issues to demolish the abandoned Philippine Village Hotel beside the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) by next year to make way for a new terminal, a company official said.
“The Philippine Village Hotel, we want to start the demolition and construction by early next year, although there are many problems surrounding this plan,” NNIC General-Manager Angelito A. Alvarez told reporters on Friday last week.
Mr. Alvarez said that the NNIC is now coordinating with the local government of Pasay City, together with the Transportation department and the Manila International Airport Authority to have the building demolished.
“I think the local government saw the merit of our request. From the looks of it, in the next few days they will issue a permit,” he added.
Mr. Alvarez said the demolition of the Philippine Village Hotel faces many legal issues.
“We have a plan for this new terminal. We need this to decongest (our airport) because our airport capacity is only 35 million, but by the end of the year, it is projected that we will hit about 50 million,” he added.
NNIC Chairman Ramon S. Ang said the new terminal will add 36 passenger boarding bridges and accommodate 22 million passengers annually. He added that construction might take at least three to four years to complete.
The NNIC is also working on the renovation and upgrade of Terminal 4, which started on Nov. 6.
The new upgraded terminal, which has a budget of more or less P200 million, will reopen in February 2025.
With the ongoing upgrade of Terminal 4, all airlines operating there, such as AirSWIFT, Sunlight Air, and the regional brand of budget carrier Cebu Pacific, Cebgo, transferred to Terminal 2, where the domestic flights of Philippine Airlines are currently operating.
The new NAIA operator said that it is still ironing out its planned terminal reassignments to ensure minimal impact on operations.
The new terminal reassignment is expected to be implemented by the first quarter of 2025, Mr. Alvarez said.
“This terminal reassignment would only be the first phase. The first thing to do is to renovate Terminal 4. Once finished, we will relocate AirAsia from Terminal 2 to Terminal 4,” he said, adding that the terminal reassignments would be in a gradual manner.
To recall, NNIC said it plans to designate Terminal 1 for Philippine Airlines, Terminal 2 for domestic flights, Terminal 3 for all foreign airlines including Cebu Pacific and AirAsia Philippines’ international flights, and Terminal 4 for AirAsia Philippines’ domestic operations. — Ashley Erika O. Jose