News Update NAIA Terminal 1 to undergo P1.16-B makeover

The Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA) has set aside P1.16 billion to refurbish the oft-criticized 35-year-old Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 1, said MIAA general manager Jose Angel Honrado. In a statement, Honrado said that the refurbishment will begin Jan. 16, with the escalators connecting the arrival and departure halls being removed to allow more passenger movement. The make over will take at least 18 months to complete, Honrado noted. Also included in the improvement project are the demolition and rebuilding of four comfort rooms at the arrival lobby, relocation of Duty Free shops and offices, and structural retrofitting to strengthen the terminal against earthquakes. Additional Immigration counters will be added at the arrival area so more passengers can be processed during peak hours. Inclined walk-a-lators will also be installed in the arrival area. Apart from refurbishment, the MIAA will buy new security equipment, including shoe scanners, state-of-the-art scanning and X-ray machines, and additional closed-circuit television cameras. The equipment, Honrado said, will be funded by money from the Security Development Fee (SDF), which the MIAA started collecting from departing international passengers in February 2007 as part of the terminal fee. The collection of the SDF ends on Jan. 31, bringing down the terminal fee from P750 to P550. Honrado said that by the end of the year, the P550 airport terminal fee will no longer be collected by the MIAA. Instead, airline companies will reimburse airport authorities with the fee as part of the airfare. — AL/VS,