Bidding for the P67-million Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) runway improvement program has been put on hold by the Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC).
In a bid bulletin, DOTC Undersecretary Perpetuo Lotilla said the submission and opening of eligibility documents and technical and financial proposals is “postponed until further notice” to give prospective bidders ample time to prepare a competitive tender.
The transport department decided to renegotiate the contract for the runway optimization project after two failed biddings. Lotilla said prospective bidders can still purchase negotiation documents and send their queries to DOTC.
The project aims to improve the airside capacity of NAIA by increasing its runway movements, improving slot schedules, putting up additional infrastructure, and upgrading technology.
NAIA exceeded its design capacity after hitting the 32-million passenger mark in 2012, while aircraft movements went up to a high of 255,000 in 2011, amid a growing economy and a surge in tourist arrivals. Along with the rise in passenger and aircraft movements, the perpendicular design of the runway that was built way back in 1981 “has made NAIA a highly congested airport,” according to DOTC.
Three companies—US-based Mitre Corp., United Kingdom’s NATS Ltd., and Copenhagen Airport of Germany—earlier expressed interest in bidding for the project.
Parallel runway
In addition to the runway enhancement, Transport Secretary Joseph Emilio Abaya earlier pushed for the construction of a new 2.1-kilometer runway worth P2.4 billion to run parallel to NAIA’s existing primary runway.
However, Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines Director General William Hotchkiss III said the proposal for a parallel runway is currently on hold and still subject to further studies.
“We are restudying that (third runway project) because first, we have to relocate (the radar) and that’s going to cost money,” Hotchkiss said.
He added that the project will also have an impact on C5 Road, requiring it to be re-engineered and “that will cost money as well.”
Photo courtesy of Manila International Airport Authority
