MANILA — New passenger walkways will be built along Terminal 1 of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA), according to the Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA).
This as the MIAA pursues its project to replace the decades old passenger boarding bridges through designing, manufacturing, factory testing, delivery, and installation of new and customized units of apron-type and pedestal-type bridges.
“Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 1 passengers will soon be treated to more modern aerobridges as they board their flights,” MIAA General Manager Ed Monreal said in a statement Wednesday.
The first phase of the project involves the replacement of nine units which is estimated to cost at around PHP319 million which started construction this week and slated to be completed in December.
Phase 2, which includes eleven bridges, is due for bidding with actual implementation expected to start by first quarter of 2019.
Passenger boarding bridges connect the airport walkway to an airplane providing ease and convenience to passengers and protects them from both hot and humid or inclement weather.
The new bridges are made of glass walls and are airconditioned as well as equipped with CCTV camera with a view of the apron. The bridges are also designed with programmable motor controller and are ground power unit (GPU) ready.
These will replace the existing bridges that have been operating for 33 years, making them vulnerable to incidents of breakdown from time to time.
Shinmaywa Industries Inc. supplied the 20 aerobridges in the late 1970s when NAIA 1 was under construction which were the first-of-its kind in the country during that time.
Shenzhen CIMC-TianDa Airport Support Ltd (CIMC-TIanDa), a company that specializes on airport support equipment, is supplying the new aerobridges for NAIA.
To date, the company has supplied over 4,000 units of passenger boarding bridges in 200 airports worldwide, exporting to more than 60 countries since it began manufacturing passenger boarding bridges in 1989. (Aerol John Pateña/PNA)
