Google Search
syndicate
We have 61 guests online
Home 
News Top Stories NAIA 3 opening in July depends on thumbs up of experts
News Top Stories NAIA 3 opening in July depends on thumbs up of experts
| NAIA 3 opening in July depends on thumbs up of experts |
| Thursday, 19 June 2008 05:42 | ||||||
|
If the soft opening will push through next month, portions of the terminal will be used for the domestic flights of local carriers, Philippine Airlines and Cebu Pacific. "We want to be transparent to the public about what is happening to the terminal," said Tirso Serrano, the airport authority's spokesperson. "People are anxious already when this terminal can be productive. It's been closed for too long." The terminal, also known as NAIA (Ninoy Aquino International Airport) 3, was estimated to be 98 percent complete when construction was halted one month before it was supposed to open in December 2002. It was mired in legal battles after the circumstances surrounding its franchise award and construction was peppered with corruption and graft charges in courts here and abroad. The government has expropriated the terminal, which was previously awarded to a Filipino and German consortium, in September 2006. The Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA) now has possession of it. The airport's opening has been long delayed because the MIAA had to ensure that the building is safe before letting passengers in. In March 2006, days before one of many promised soft openings in the past, a portion of the ceiling near the entrance area fell. Concerns about the structure's safety and integrity have put MIAA on a love-hate relationship with the terminal's original general contractor, Japanese firm Takenaka Corporation. The two had to ink an agreement on the extent and cost of both the completion of the unfinished portions and the repair works on the building defects discovered by a MIAA-hired engineering firm. The MIAA tasked local firm TCGI Engineers to check the building's structural integrity. It was a necessary procedure to prevent future accidents that could result in liability claims against MIAA. In December 2007, TCGI and general contractor Takenaka had a deadlock on certain engineering and structural standards that should be employed. Serrano said that because of the deadlock, administration-allied representatives in Congress have assured MIAA that a third party, who remains unnamed at the moment, will be in charge of coming up with a structural report out in a few weeks time. This third party will replace TCGI. Serrano said the support of Congress is important in fast-tracking the opening of the terminal, since if the Congress-hired third party could iron out an agreement that includes additional works that Takenaka would consent to guarantee and finish, then the remaining repair and completion tasks could proceed. On top of the third party's soon-to-be-released report, Serrano said they are pinning their hopes also on an upcoming report by British engineering firm, Ove Arup & Partners HK Ltd.. Previously, Ove Arup was tasked to review TCGI's methodology and to assess "life safety" issues, such as cracks in walls and floor and substandard electric and mechanical materials in the 182,500-squaremeter structure. While Ove Arup then agreed on most of TCGI's findings, Serrano said the British firm may soon come up with an updated report where the general tenor is that the issues previously raised "may not be as bad." "We have a high degree of confidence [that MIAA will complete Naia 3] because of the reports of Ove Arup and the third party," Serrano said. Serrano added that if and when the soft launch will proceed in July, only the portions of the terminal where there are no structural and safety issues will be used. These include about 48 check-in counters, a portion of the departure and boarding areas, and some gates. The trial run will only include the domestic operations of Philippine Airlines and Cebu Pacific since these do not require the use of the immigration area, thus, are less complicated. The NAIA 3 was originally planned for international flights, thus replacing NAIA 1, which already breached its capacity way back in the late nineties. The NAIA 2, currently leased to Philippine Airlines for its domestic and international flights, was supposed to replace the Manila domestic airport which is now dilapidating and bursting at the seams, especially with the increase in requirements of budget flights to various destinations. The NAIA 3, which was designed to accommodate about 13 million passengers a year, has long been expected to ease traffic and pave the way for better airport service at Manila's premier gateways.
Set as favorite
Bookmark
Email This
Hits: 154 Trackback(0)
Comments (0)
 Write comment
|
TrackBack URI for this entry
Subscribe to this comment's feed
| Related Articles | |
