The Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) wasn’t built to handle over 50 million passengers a year, but here we are. To help deal with the overflow, authorities are building a new terminal.
The new passenger terminal—Terminal 5— will serve as an extension of Terminal 2 in serving domestic flights. It will rise on the site of the old Philippine Village Hotel, which is inside the government-owned Nayong Pilipino complex in Pasay City.
READ: What To Expect With the Upcoming NAIA Terminal 5
According to New NAIA Infrastructure Corp. Manager Lito Alvarez, the demolishing of the Philippine Village Hotel will shortly begin after Holy Week on April 21, following permit approvals from the Pasay local government.
“Gagawa tayo ng panibagong terminal. ‘Yan ang Terminal 5. Siguro in two to three years’ time that will be finished. Expect a lot of improvements na mangyayari pa,” Alvarez said during a press conference on April 10.
Demolition of the Philippine Village Hotel is expected to take around five months, after which construction of Terminal 5 will begin.
Currently, NAIA operates beyond its intended capacity of 32 to 34 million passengers per year. In 2024, it served 51 million travelers—a figure Alvarez says is projected to hit 54 million in 2025.
San Miguel Corporation (SMC) President Ramon Ang had previously hinted at Terminal 5 after the concession agreement was signed in early 2024. He said this new passenger terminal will have 50 boarding gates to increase airport capacity to 35 million more passengers.
Under the concession agreement, SMC has the right to operate and manage the 79-year-old airport until 2039, with a possible 10-year extension based on performance. The company is also required to invest a minimum of P88 billion within the first six years to upgrade NAIA’s infrastructure and services.
*This story originally appeared on Spot.ph. Minor edits have been made by the Preview.ph editors.
Hey, Preview readers! Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Tiktok, and Twitter to stay up to speed on all things trendy and creative. We’ll curate the most stylish feed for you!
