Manila: Completion of Bulacan airport development by end-2028

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Diversified conglomerate San Miguel Corp. (SMC) targets to finish airport development works at its P740-billion international gateway project in Bulacan by end-2028.

In a recent analysts briefing, SMC said that progress on the New Manila International Airport (NMIA)'s land development and ground improvement works are ongoing with an overall progress of 84.6 percent.

'Per approved DOTr (Department of Transportation) timeline, airport development will be completed by the end of 2028,' SMC said.

SMC was previously targeting to start airport development works at the NMIA project next year, but SMC president and CEO Ramon Ang earlier told The STAR that they would do it by 2026 instead to prioritize the modernization of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA).

The NMIA is poised to be a world-class airport that will be developed in phases, with an initial capacity of 35 million passengers annually and a target of 100 million passengers per year once completed.

The 2,500-hectare project features at least four parallel runways, a world-class terminal and a modern and interlinked infrastructure network that includes expressways and railways.

SMC, however, is also spearheading the consortium that won the contract to modernize NAIA, the country's main international gateway.

The New NAIA Infrastructure Corp. headed by SMC has bared plans to put up a new terminal near Terminals 1 and 2 to boost capacity of the airport in handling flights and passengers.

The concessionaire is tasked to handle NAIA for a minimum of 15 years, extendable by 10 years.

The DOTr, the Manila International Airport Authority and the New NAIA Infra signed the concession agreement for the NAIA rehabilitation project last March 18.

SMC expects to enhance operational efficiencies, reduce costs and optimize flight schedules given potential synergies in its massive airport projects.

For the MRT-7, another major infrastructure project being undertaken by the conglomerate, SMC said a study is ongoing on the realignment of the highway component.