LT Group unit to bid for $1.6-billion Naia project

Asia’s Emerging Dragon Corp. (AEDC) of the Lucio Tan Group will submit an offer for the redevelopment of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (Naia) under the government’s Public-Private Partnership (PPP) scheme.

The AEDC will mostly likely have a foreign partner in bidding for the $1.65 billion project that would “improve the operational efficiencies” of the four Naia terminals, both landside and airside, to meet International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) standards.

AEDC President Gen. Salvador Mison said, “We are participating in the bidding because we firmly believe in the growth potential of our country’s premier airport, given our past experience of pushing for Philippine aviation development.”

The AEDC is confident it can provide viable solutions to Naia’s inter-terminal connectivity as well as traffic congestion in the area. AEDC’s foreign partner is expected to provide the technical expertise in its long-term proposal. The National Economic and Development Authority (Neda) approved last month the Naia redevelopment project purposely to upgrade the country’s main gateway airport.

The Neda Board was convened last September 14, 2016 by President Rodrigo Duterte to approve several infrastructure projects. The project excludes any proposals to improve air traffic services, according to Neda.