NAIA Transformation: From Stressed Gateway to World-Class Hub Under Private Management

In just a little less than two years since the San Miguel Corp.-led consortium took over the maintenance and operations of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA), our country’s premier gateway is on its way to becoming a world-class airport, something that was unthinkable before. New NAIA Infrastructure Corp. (NNIC) has invested nearly P7 billion in modernization and has remitted P78 billion to the government representing its payments under its 15-year concession agreement since taking over on Sept. 14, 2024. NNIC and SMC president Ramon Ang said, “This is what the concession was designed to do: generate substantial and continuing revenues for government that can help support public services and infrastructure, while bringing in private sector resources to improve the airport.” As part of its concession, the group has committed to invest P170.6 billion to rehabilitate and modernize NAIA and has so far spent P6.8 billion on repairs, replacement of aging equipment, improvement of passenger processing systems and capacity expansions. Specifically, the P6.8 billion has funded both completed and ongoing projects including expanded terminal curbsides, automated parking systems, upgraded baggage handling equipment, improved Wi-Fi capacity, rehabilitated power and air-conditioning systems and flood mitigation works. The company has also deployed more than 2,500 baggage trolleys, 11,820 passenger seats, 20 inter-terminal bus shuttles and 517 biometric-enabled passenger processing units. “We have made significant progress in less than two years but there is still a lot more work ahead. Our investments will continue as we modernize NAIA while keeping the airport operational,” Ang added. NNIC said work is now underway on a ground transportation center at Terminal 3, which aims to consolidate and organize transport services. It is also expected to open a new north wing bus gate at Terminal 2, expanding its ability to handle flights at remote aircraft stands while improving the use of available gate capacity. The private operator is likewise expanding food and retail offerings and installing 78 biometric immigration e-gates operated by the Bureau of Immigration. The group also noted that the modernization program has enabled NAIA to accommodate traffic beyond its original annual design capacity of about 35 million passengers. No less than the President has expressed confidence in the future of NAIA that used to have rodents discovered by passengers, malfunctioning air-conditioning and baggage handling systems, among other issues. Once considered among the worst and most stressful airports in the world, it will soon be a world-class international airport that we can be proud of, the President said. Last year, NNIC opened the 6,000-square-meter Mezzanine Food Hall Terminal 3 and now we have more food halls and restaurants at Terminals 1 and 2. Also in 2025, the newly improved OFW Lounge was inaugurated, serving complimentary food and drinks 24 hours a day. When the President inaugurated the 200-square-meter dignitaries’ lounge at Terminal 3 and the Mezzanine (a 6,801-sqm area that offers 22 stand-alone restaurants and cafes) and Tambayan (a 6,200-sqm dining space that features 17 homegrown brands food halls, he said that NAIA now looks like a real airport finally, just like the airports that we go to when we travel to other places. Much remains to be done. But what NNIC has achieved in two years is remarkable and something that would never have been accomplished if the government did not privatize airport operations. Proof that the private sector can always do a better job.