Philippines to Modernize Aging Manila Airport, Boost Capacity
- Passenger traffic expected to grow almost 50% by 2037
- Older facilities, long queues make the upgrade necessary
Workers collect carts at the dilapidated Ninoy Aquino international airport.
Photographer: Dondi Tawatao/Getty ImagesThis article is for subscribers only.
The Philippine government is considering bringing in investors to modernize Manila’s 33-year-old airport as President Benigno Aquino tries to upgrade the country’s infrastructure.
Companies will be brought in on 15- to 20-year concessions to invest more than 120 billion pesos ($2.6 billion) to upgrade Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA), Transportation Secretary Joseph Emilio Abaya said in an interview Wednesday. That will enable the airport to meet projected traffic of 51.4 million passengers a year by 2037, from about 35 million now.