Passengers wait in line at a check-in counter a day after the NAIA terminal 3 experienced a power outage on the morning of Monday, May 1, 2023, causing delayed flights and cancellations. (File photo by MARIANNE BERMUDEZ / Philippine Daily Inquirer)
MANILA, Philippines — The Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA) has begun an electrical audit of Ninoy Aquino International Airport (Naia) Terminal 3 after a power outage last week that caused a string of flight delays.
The audit started on Friday with the assistance of power distributor Manila Electric Co. (Meralco) and is expected to be completed in three weeks, said Bryan Co, the officer in charge of the MIAA.
Once the audit is completed, Co said in a statement that the MIAA would be able to determine the equipment needed to be upgraded, rehabilitated or purchased “to make Naia Terminal 3’s power system reliable and resilient.”
“The MIAA will then determine the timeline as well as the required budget for the procurement of critical components of its electrical facilities, generator sets and implement the necessary power systems upgrade at Terminal 3,” airport authorities said in the statement.
Co reiterated that they would need to purchase or lease additional generators and the agency is currently discussing with stakeholder concerns.
For now, describing it as an “immediate move,” the MIAA said it was exploring the option of leasing generator sets “to increase the capacity of Terminal 3’s back-up power.”