6 firms vie for Sangley airport expansion
Credit to Author: Lisbet K. Esmael| Date: Tue, 29 Oct 2019 18:03:21 +0000
AT least six companies, including one based in China, have expressed interest to further develop Sangley airport in Cavite City, Cavite province, into an international hub, according to a local government official.
On the sidelines of the Department of Transportation’s (DoTr) seven-day operational dry run of the airport, Cavite Gov. Juanito Victor “Jonvic” Remulla told reporters that six major firms already bought bidding documents. He identified three of these as Metro Pacific Investments Corp., D.M. Consunji Inc. and China Construction Co.
“I forgot the others, but so far they are the big groups,” he added.
Other major companies that showed interest in the project were the SM Group and Ayala Corp. But Remulla said they were yet to acquire the bidding documents.
“The deadline for [the securing of bidding documents] is on November 11. After that, they will submit their tender [offer] on, I think, November 25,” Remulla added.
The Cavite provincial government, which previously sought to lead Sangley’s upgrading, would facilitate the land reclamation, while the project proponent would focus on the infrastructure, according to the executive.
“We will reclaim the land and then there will be an airport company who will put up the airport,” he said.
“The reclamation component will [cost] at least $3 billion, and…the airport itself, including the runway [and] terminal, will cost another $7 billion, so [the total cost is around] $10 billion,” the governor said.
The Sangley airport is envisioned to have four runways.
Remulla also said the airport’s operations and maintenance would also be bidded out.
96% complete
As of Monday, government-led infrastructure works at Sangley were 96 percent complete, putting it on track to fulfill President Rodrigo Duterte’s order to make it up and running by next month.
The air hub is currently limited to cargo and general aviation operations.
Among the finished infrastructure works are the asphalt overlay and clearing of the end of the runway; reblocking of concrete pavement; installation of two pumps, including the drainage system; construction of ramp; landscaping; installation of streetlights; access road; installation of a close-captioned television surveillance system; and the setting up of meteorological equipment.
In a briefing, Jim Sydiongco, director general of the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines, said the timeline for commercial flights at Sangley was unclear, as the hub’s current structure could not support them.
He noted, however, the airport could accommodate Airbus A320.
Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade said the government was in talks with low-budget carrier Cebu Pacific on the possible use of turbopop planes to carry passengers in and out of Sangley.