New Manila International Airport (NMIA)

[airline_builder]

Arianespace wrote

Don't be too harsh on him. It is not within his power to operate a BRT. Tollways are operated under TRB. Busways are operated under LTFRB. Under the law he cannot be a toll operator and bus operator at the same time. Its like saying you cannot operate an airport and an airline at the same time. SALEX is for NMIA access exclusively, unlike NAIAX which feeds traffic from SLEX, Cavitex, Pasay, Paranaque, Manila and Makati.

Let us not go far on the conversation, perhaps finish Caticlan MPH Airport first then we can pay attention to him

[Arianespace]

I have explained the Caticlan bruhaha sometime February this year. What was stated there is still true to this date, as was stated to me by a DOTr Asec.

Arianespace wrote

To have that fact in perspective, SMC never had Caticlan Airport project in the beginning. Management contract was owned by Yang family, particularly George T. Yang, owner of McDonalds in the Philippines, and his associates Rafael P. Puno, Lino A. Barte, and RPRP Ventures Management and Development Corp.

I was telling the other forum about these things before but I guess nobody bothered to read it so I am telling it again.

The management plan was to improve the existing terminal building, extend and widen the runway, build a new passenger terminal building, vehicular parking area and other facilities with a price tag of ₱2.5 billion for the whole project. Not for the PTBs alone as was later on claimed by SMC. Projected expenses turns out to be more. A billion more.

The award which costs Yang ₱2.5 billion as development expenses entail two stages, as proposed on their bid documents: the construction of a new ₱2.1-billion passenger terminal in the first stage, and the extension of the existing runway from 950 meters (3,120 ft) to 2,100 meters (6,900 ft) as well as upgrading airport equipment and the existing apron, which would cost ₱360 million. It turns out Yang was too ambitious with his projections as depression hits the economy in 2009 affecting his business. He had no choice but sell its stake.

Yang was expected to add another floor to the one-storey terminal building and flatten out an adjacent hill, which will involve moving 350,000 cubic meters of soil. Never happened. It was SMC that does the job. The CIADC was also expected to build fences around the airport, upgrade the fire station and fit the facility with new navigational aids. Did not also happen as SMC bought these equipment.

The next phase, now done by SMC, extended and widen the runway to what it is today, cost another billion from the proposed ₱360 million. Of which billion was supposed to finance a new two-storey terminal building which was built according to SMC projections of international operations. It turns out the expenses  for airside operations was closing the 2b mark even without the new PTB in place.

The final phase, which is about this year, includes further extension and widening of the runway towards the sea, which will never happen as DENR denied permit for its construction due to environmental concerns.

If you take a look at the 25 years concession agreement, their was never a word mentioning it as an "international airport". Only the company operating it was. Because the "gateway" airport is in "Kalibo". Not in Caticlan. Which means it remains to be a domestic airport. Services to "international destinations" was mere propaganda, as DOTr and CAAP never meant it to be one.

Knowing these mistakes to their bid and their difficult financial position, CIADC sold their interest to SMC's Trans Aire without telling them the restrictions much to their delight. And then SMC pursued the same strategy to make it "international" which they realized later on was never part of the concession. Their attempt to modify the contract during Pnoy time failed. And so their PTB construction hit the wall, as it will cost them a billion more, with the hopes on them bagging the amendments. Still, It never happened during Tugade's time. What you see now is the temporary PTB warehouse.

Also what they have now is a provisional permit granted by JJB in 2022, allowing them to fly special international flights which is time-limited. Not regular flights. This is the reason you find pre-cleared flights from China and Taiwan. But it doesn't mean the concession was amended. Its the same CA approved in 2009. It still is a domestic airport, as clearly known nowadays as "Boracay Airport."

So you just have the protruding modular steel beams now which is supposed to accommodate 5mppa and is supposed to be completed on the 15th year, which is today, but is nowhere close to it. Even without covid they won't still reach this number now. Probably in the next 5 years which is its 20th year out of the 25.

So you see, this really was a loss investment for SMC. They were supposed to rake in profit at this time but Trans Aire is still operating at a loss. Thus, deferment of compulsory expense, which is completion of PTB.  That is why they make sure to win NAIA contract so that they can divert excess traffic by the time new MNL opens in 2028, which would otherwise be impossible to happen if other operators had won and decided to keep excess traffic at NAIA.

[Solblanc]

Re: caticlan, it still boggles the mind that the fourth-busiest airport in the Philippines is struggling to pay for itself. Don’t PPPs come with the ability to raise terminal fees? This is an airport with more traffic than Iloilo. Government would’ve had no problems getting a JICA or KOICA loan to fix it up, like in Iloilo or Puerto Princesa. Anyway, I digress…


I just wanted to ask if the recent rains and floods had any effect on NMIA’s land development. I guess the airport really should be treated as an island with elevated connections. CRK was sadly cut off from Manila for periods of time while the NLEX got flooded in certain areas. Here’s hoping they take into account climate change for NMIA

[Arianespace]

It's basically an island. Access to it is through viaducts.

[Gustavo J Oppenheimer]

This was a day before the onslaught

https://youtu.be/ja5GXQzL8ck?si=roSByqUzSUSDBn8v

[Gustavo J Oppenheimer]

Now we have footage of Bulacan airport post-Carina

https://youtu.be/ehTWESnlX0s?si=bZPXK7Oa2ZDFKnLC

[Gustavo J Oppenheimer]

Another update on NMIA

it appears that the water has not yet died down in the artificial land, and there are no machines visible.

I doubt that the 1st phase will completed by 2028, hope RSA keeps his word despite prioritizing the NAIA Privatization

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OTvZDjQ-ItM 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qqgqeIyRW4Q

[airline_builder]

Gustavo J Oppenheimer wrote

Another update on NMIA

it appears that the water has not yet died down in the artificial land, and there are no machines visible.

I doubt that the 1st phase will completed by 2028, hope RSA keeps his word despite prioritizing the NAIA Privatization

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OTvZDjQ-ItM 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qqgqeIyRW4Q

Actually, this is a good litmus test for the land compacting for all elements to sip in - so perhaps they have a timeline for that or not, but it will absolutely slide further the turnover date of the airport so all eyes and revenue energy of SMC is at NAIA - an already running income generating property.

[Gustavo J Oppenheimer]

about that it the date actually 'slipped out' to end-2028

https://insiderph.com/ramon-angs-smc-moves-bulacan-international-airport-completion-to-end-2028

[Solblanc]

Gustavo J Oppenheimer wrote

about that it the date actually 'slipped out' to end-2028

https://insiderph.com/ramon-angs-smc-moves-bulacan-international-airport-completion-to-end-2028

2028 is perfectly feasible if they started building works today.

I would count five years from when the first runway is completed. But since SMC now has NAIA, I have a feeling we won’t see an operational NMIA until the end of the 15-year concession

[Gustavo J Oppenheimer]

https://insiderph.com/sand-shortage-pushes-back-smcs-bulacan-airport-completion-to-2028

[Gustavo J Oppenheimer]

Confirmed by RSA

https://www.bworldonline.com/top-stories/2024/08/27/616238/construction-issues-to-push-back-operations-of-bulacan-airport-to-2028/

"We are working closely with the government to help us, to allow us and give us some panambak (backfill),” he told reporters last week. “The construction has been delayed because we do not have it. If we can get that, then we can begin construction and make the airport ready to run.”

“When they suspended the Manila Bay reclamation, they also stopped sand sources, which affected us. We do not have backfill, which we use for construction,” he said.


“This delay has incurred additional costs. This one-year delay cost us several hundreds of millions of dollars,” Mr. Ang said. “If we can get the sand right now, we can begin the construction and make the airport ready to run by the first quarter of 2028.”

@Arianespace

[Arianespace]

Want the real story? The one that RSA don't and can't even mentioned?

A politician with links all the way to Malacanang is asking SMC funding for the midterm election and some for someone else's pocket too! His project is held hostage for over a year now, with Sec. Loyzaga in a bind. SMC wont budge. They all have legal rights. But then their project is held hostage by the present government. They could always ask arbitration for deferment of contract completion due to political harassment. That stipulation is clearly stated in the concession agreement. RSA is working for solution while their permit is held by this alter ego of the president

“This delay has incurred additional costs. This one-year delay cost us several hundreds of millions of dollars,” Mr. Ang said.

Scary when not one media is talking about it. Except maybe this forum.

[JNC03]

The media will not report anything big stuff specially negative things happening in the government

The politicking in SMC is just the tip of the iceberg in terms of how they interfere with business and projects in the country

[Solblanc]

NAIA 3 all over again?

Ramon Ang can go straight to the First Lady. Or is he not one of the favored ones?

[JNC03]

Well money talks🤣

He needs to pay first

[Arianespace]

RSA is known to work discreetly and agree to politicians whims but not on the price they wanted. He has 9 months to work this out. Or claim compensation after PBBM term. His choice really. Remember the EPZA around Bulacan airport which did not fly. That was supposed to be SMC's bargaining chip in exchange for funding donation. PBBM did not approve it. So I guess they were asking for more.

SMC would always win if you deprive them permits which you are obligated to provide. Its not about the sand gentlemen. It's just a cover. He was heard comparing Duterte''s government and the current one, and his got a big sigh. Malala ngayon.

[Arianespace]

MANILA, Philippines — The government is not alarmed over the delay in the completion of what would be the largest gateway in the Philippines being developed by conglomerate San Miguel Corp. (SMC), according to Transportation Secretary Jaime Bautista.

While he would prefer for the project to be finished as originally planned, Bautista said a one-year delay would not hurt the country that much.

“After five years that is when we will really be needing that additional capacity. Even if it is delayed by one year, the effect will not be too big,” Bautista said in an interview yesterday.

“I’m sure San Miguel is doing all it can because there is no incentive for them to delay the project,” he said.

SMC said it is expecting a delay in the construction and operation of its P740-billion international gateway project in Bulacan due to the lack of sand, which is used as backfill for the on-going construction work.

It said the suspension by the government of the Manila Bay reclamation projects has limited the sand sources of the company.

In the event the backfill and sand sources are made available to the company, SMC said the New Manila International Airport (NMIA) might be operational by the first quarter of 2028, instead of 2027 as initially planned.

There you go. Straight from the horses mouth.

[airline_builder]

Next week will be the last week of the MIAA management over NAIA.

Has SMC presented already concrete stages and impressions of the New NAIA that they envision in 5 years' time, apart from the well, diarrhea pronouncements of RSA like its so easy and chill?

[JNC03]

iniipit?🤔

The government was urged to rethink the contract it awarded to a consortium led by San Miguel Corp. (SMC) to rehabilitate Ninoy Aquino International Airport (Naia) starting next week.

The group AirportWatch PH made the call after SMC, the largest conglomerate in the country, confirmed the likely delays in big-ticket infrastructure project, like the New Manila International Airport (NMIA) in Bulacan and the Metro Rail Transit Line 7 (MRT 7).

“These delays cast doubt on SMC’s capacity to manage other critical undertakings, including the equally vital rehabilitation of Naia,” AirportWatch PH spokesperson Lorenzo delos Santos said in a statement on Friday.

“We firmly believe that the Naia rehabilitation project deserves the same level of attention and urgency as SMC’s other ventures, despite the challenges those projects currently face,” Delos Santos said.


https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1980838/rethink-projects-awarded-to-smc-govt-urged/amp