MORE ROOM. More transfers will bring the total number of foreign airlines operating from NAIA Terminal 3 to 6. File photo by Jay Directo/Agence France-Presse
MANILA, Philippines – Two foreign carriers are moving from the congested Ninoy Aquino International Aiport (NAIA) Terminal 1 to the roomier Terminal 3 by mid-August.
Emirates is scheduled to move its operations to Terminal 3 (T3) on August 15.
In a statement, Emirates said that flights EK 337 / 336 will be the first arrival and departure at T3 on the same day.
Its airport office will relocate to the newest NAIA terminal on the night of August 14, ready for operations the next day.
Meanwhile, starting July 31, Delta Air Lines will operate from T3.
“Delta Air Lines is scheduled to move from NAIA 1 to NAIA 3 with the first arrivals on July 31st and the first departures on August 1st,” said Delta Airlines director for Philippines, Australia, and Micronesia Steven Crowdey.
Aside from the two airlines, 3 more foreign carriers are set to make the move once the P1.9-billion (US$ 43.7-million) renovation of NAIA Terminal 3 is completed by Takenaka Corp. They are Singapore Airlines, Cathay Pacific and KLM Royal Dutch Airlines.
The transfers would increase the number of foreign airlines operating from Terminal 3 to 6. All Nippon Airways (ANA) is already using the terminal.
The government has long been asking foreign carriers to move out of Terminal 1 which is currently serving almost twice its capacity. Named one of the world’s worst airports, it handles over 8 million passengers when it is designed to handle only 4.5 million.
Terminal 3, on the other hand, operates at about half of its 13 million capacity.
The Terminal 3 retrofitting aims to upgrade flight information displays, gate coordination, baggage handling, fire protection systems and computer terminals. – Rappler.com