"Terminal 3 of the Philippine airport of Ninoy Aquino ready for takeoff"

Wednesday, November 6, 2002

IPT 3 ready for takeoff
Phillipines -  International Construction


FIRST, a history lesson. Terminal 1 of the Philippine airport of Ninoy
Aquino was opened in 1982 to cater for international flights. To meet
the growing number of airport users, Terminal 2 was opened in August
1999, designed and built as the replacement domestic terminal, but later
occupied by PAL to run its entire operation. Large new airports have in
recent years been built throughout Southeast Asia, including Malaysia,
Hong Kong, Korea and now in Thailand. To keep pace, the Philippines has
formulated a plan to construct a new gateway, Terminal 3, exclusively
for international flights. Up to 13 million passengers are expected to
use the terminal building annually -- and place it firmly as a transit
hub for the region.

Construction of the airport facility should be completed on schedule
later this month. A total of $500mil. has already been invested by the
Philippine International Air Terminals Co. (PIATCO) for its
construction, which is officially entitled `the NAIA International
Passenger Terminal 3' (IPT 3).

Takenaka Corporation was awarded the contract by PIATCO to design and
construct the terminal, and commenced in June 2000. The concept design
of the project had been developed by Pacific Consultants International
(PCI) and the American company Skidmore, Owings & Merrill LLP (SOM).

The construction of all airport facilities, including the terminal
building, airport operational systems, and incidental works (taxiways,
airplane parking areas, etc.) were contracted out to Takenaka on a
Design & Build basis, making this an unprecedented `total package'
project in the Philippines, according to Jefferson Cheng, PIATCO
executive officer. Contract period was 29 months.

To date, construction has been conducted continuously, with up to 5,000
tradesmen working seven days a week, round the clock on 8-12 hour
shifts. PIATCO's project manager is represented at the site by German
architect Karl May. His team consists of highly qualified and
experienced architects and engineers from the UK, Malaysia and the
Philippines. A group of Japanese engineers led by Shinji Futo, and the
5,000 Filipino workers are executing the construction works at site.
Combining American design, German precision, Japanese technology and
Filipino craftsmanship, a formidable team is at work on this terminal.

Into the terminal itself, running its entire length along the main
access road, canopies protect the interior of the terminal from direct
sunlight. The scale of canopies provides passengers both a sense of
welcome and greater comfort, according to May. He also notes that the
concourses are clear and functional structures. At the centre of the
main building will be a large sky-lit shopping atrium -- a visually
dramatic setting for passengers waiting for their flights. In addition
to the shops, many restaurants and bars will welcome passengers and
public alike.

Other features of the NAIA IPT 3 are: 28 aircraft stands (20 contact and
eight remote); 140 check-in counters; 50 immigration counters on the
departure level and 68 at the arrival area, and seven baggage reclaim
carousels.

PIATCO is a consortium of Filipino, German, Singaporean and Japanese
companies, namely: Fraport AG, People's Aircargo and Warehousing Co.
Inc., Philippine Airport and Ground Services Terminals Inc., Philippine
Airport and Ground Services Inc., SB Airport Investments Inc., and
Nissho Iwai Corp.

Cheng believes that the large amount invested into NAIA IPT3 (a
significant component of which is foreign sourced) shows that investor
interest and confidence in the Philippines is at a high level. "This is
indicative of investor confidence in the Philippines," he says. He adds
that the foreign investment in building the terminal has freed the
government from funding the construction of this much-needed transport
facility.

Cheng also stresses that the project already provides over 4,000 direct
and 20,000 indirect jobs. It will continue to present employment
opportunities to Filipinos in the future. The PIATCO official says that
despite efforts to stymie the project in the early days, the completed
terminal is set to begin operations in November as scheduled. The
NAIA-IPT 3 sits on a 65-hectare lot in Pasay City (southern part of
Manila) and boasts safety and security features on a par with the
world's best airports. Officials note that capital equipment such as the
baggage handling system, air bridges, and other commonly used airport
equipment are all imported.

"Considering that the NAIA-IPT 3 has a floor area of 233,000m2, (the
existing Terminal 1 is only 40,000m2) means it will certainly generate a
lot more jobs," Cheng believes.

First impressions

"The completion and operation of NAIA-IPT 3 will put in place a
world-class airport terminal and facility that Filipinos can be proud
of, as it will give tourists and potential investors a good first
impression of the country," Cheng says. The new facility will be capable
of serving up to 13 million passengers yearly -- as compared to the six
million capacity of the present Terminal 1.

In the light of recent terrorist attacks in the USA from airports, the
new terminal will boast state-of-the-art safety and security features.
There will be closed circuit television (CCTV) facilities in almost
every corner of the new airport. Baggage check will be done at four
levels where the most advanced screening devices such as computerised
tomography X-Ray (CTX) scan and Ionscan will be used, reducing the
possibility of undetected hazardous luggage getting through. It will
also have a 3,200 capacity car park, which forms part of the terminal's
total 233,000m2 floor area.

Takenaka Corporation is well equipped for such a high profile project.
With a yearly turnover of $9bil., 20 offices worldwide, its construction
R&D laboratory claimed to be the biggest in the world and with over
1,000 architects in its design department, Takenaka offer services from
site location and planning to design and construction as well as
post-completion services such as building maintenance.


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