The new passenger boarding bridges for Naia Terminal 1. Courtesy of Manila International Airport Authority.
The decades-old passenger boarding bridges (PBB) of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (Naia) will soon be replaced by new ones, the Manila International Airport Authority (Miaa) announced on Wednesday.
Miaa General Manager Ed Monreal said that all 20 boarding gates of Naia Terminal 1 will have new boarding bridges by the first quarter of 2019.
According the Monreal, the upgrade will focus on the design of the PBB.
He said that from steel walls, the new aerobridges will be made of glass walls. The new PBB will be air conditioned and will be equipped with CCTV cameras.
Monreal also noted that given the number of boarding gates in Naia Terminal 1, the project will be divided into two phases.
The airport chief explained that the management target to finish the construction of the 11 bridges by the end of the year while the remaining nine would be by the first quarter of 2019.
Despite the target time frame, Monreal vowed to speed up finishing the project.
“Rest assured that we will work doubly hard to make a difference for the benefit of the air riding public,” Monreal said in a statement.
The bridges being replaced by the Miaa management were in operation for 33 years and were reportedly causing unreliable incidents of breakdown.
The removal of the old PBB started last Sunday at Gate 9 of Terminal 1. /je