The Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) is exploring the possibility of replacing the congested Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) in Pasay City with a new international gateway at either Sangley Point in Cavite or Laguna de Bay.
Transportation Secretary Joseph Emilio Abaya revealed that the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) is conducting a site selection study with these two locations as leading contenders.
The new airport aims to be part of a long-term development plan expected to take 15 to 20 years for completion.
In response to increasing passenger volume, the DOTC hopes to have a new international airport operational by 2027. This plan will run in parallel with efforts to expand and develop both NAIA and the Clark International Airport (CRK) in Pampanga.
The government sees two viable strategies to meet the anticipated passenger demand: expand CRK and develop a brand new international airport close to Metro Manila.
One option is to close and sell off NAIA by 2030, relying on the new airport (operational by 2027) to handle 78 percent of passenger capacity, with CRK providing the remaining 22 percent.
The DOTC is already undertaking crucial steps to advance expansion plans for CRK and begin the process of identifying a definitive site for the new international airport.
Leave a Reply