NNIC, Meralco partner for reliable power supply at NAIA

Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 1 in Pasay CIty (INQUIRER FILE PHOTO / GRIG C. MONTEGRANDE)

MANILA – The Ninoy Aquino International Airport’s (NAIA) new operator signed a partnership with the Manila Electric Company (Meralco) on Monday to ensure reliable power supply at the country’s main gateway.

The partnership between the New NAIA Infra Corp. (NNIC) and Meralco was signed at the latter’s office in Pasig City.

“By enhancing power reliability for the new NAIA, we are going to help empower the tourism and travel industry, support economic growth and enrich the travel experience for countless travelers. This will be a step towards NNIC’s goal of transforming our country’s vital gateway into a world-class facility,” Meralco chair Manuel V. Pangilinan was quoted as saying.

In a statement, NNIC president Ramon S. Ang said addressing power reliability is a top priority, alongside operational improvements such as decongesting traffic, widening roads, mitigating flooding and replacing faulty equipment.

To recall, the airport has faced power interruptions several times.

In September 2022, at least 31 flights got delayed when power outage hit NAIA Terminal 3 in Pasay City, resulting in the disruption of operations, manual check-in and loading of baggage, and longer processing at immigration counters.

In June 2023, another power interruption hit the same terminal, causing the cancellation of seven flights as well as long queues at the immigration.

Since then, former operator Manila International Airport Authority had several scheduled maintenance to address the issue.

With the private consortium NNIC’s partnership with Meralco, several initiatives are underway.

Among these are the establishment of a new 115 kilovolt (kV) – 34.5 kV GIS substation to power all NAIA terminals.

“This new NAIA substation will complement Meralco’s existing NAIA-3 substation which will ultimately provide two 83-MVA transformer banks and six 34.5 kV underground feeders for enhanced reliability, redundancy, and future-readiness,” the NNIC said.

Meralco is also working with NNIC to implement an underground power distribution network that will align with the airport’s operational needs through 2026. Field surveys and data sharing will begin this month.

Meralco’s subsidiary, MSERV (Meralco Energy, Inc.), on the other hand, will install a 4900 KV-ampere uninterruptible power supply system across six critical locations, including Terminal 3 and the airfield.

This upgrade will provide uninterrupted power for critical airport operations, further strengthening infrastructure resilience.

“These efforts directly improve functionality, safety and the passenger experience, setting the foundation for a world-class airport that every Filipino can be proud of.” Ang said. (PNA)