Demolition is due to begin for the abandoned complex.
More changes are definitely in the pipeline for the Philippines’ main aviation gateway at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (MNL), with two new terminals expected to be set-up inside the complex.
Coming very soon is the new Terminal 4, which will be transferred to the former site of the International Cargo Terminal, which sits between Terminal 1 and Terminal 2.
According to New NAIA Infra Corp. (NNIC) General Manager Lito Alvarez, the decision to move T4 out of its old location right at the edge of the complex’s northern tip at Domestic Road came after the tragic incident in South Korea in December last year.
A JejuAir plane overshot a runway in Muan Airport, ultimately hitting a perimeter wall that caused it to explode, killing 179 passengers.
“Nakita natin na ‘yan ay isang malaking hazard, obstacle ‘yan. ‘Yung nabalita niyo naman ‘yung nangyari sa JejuAir na maraming namatay, ayaw natin mangyari sa ating bansa ‘yon.”
With that, the old T4 building, which was only supposed to close for renovation works, had already been teared down, with no development set to rise on the vacated space.
The site for the new Terminal 4 is expected to finish its conversion process within six months, with AirAsia flights due to move to that new building by then.
Meanwhile, the major construction work that will come after that will be the Terminal 5 building, which will stand beside Terminal 2.
Currently, the plot is occupied by the abandoned Philippine Village Hotel, which had been closed since the early 2000s.
But not for long, as the NNIC confirmed that they have secured necessary permits for the dismantling of the 14-storey building.
The new Terminal 5 is expected to be completed in 3 years’ time, with the airport’s capacity expected to finally meet its demand— which reached 51 million in 2024 as opposed to its design for just 34 million.
NNIC has been operating the NAIA complex since September 2024, with other major changes introduced including the higher overnight parking fees and an integrated TNVS hub inside Terminal 3.