DOTr to wrap up talks on Davao airport by July
By Myla Iglesias
Department of Transportation (DOTr) Secretary Arthur Tugade INQUIRER PHOTO / NINO JESUS ORBETA
The Department of Transportation (DOTr) is set to conclude the negotiations for the P49-billion unsolicited proposal to expand, operate and maintain Davao International Airport this July and hopefully proceed with the Swiss challenge before the year ends.
Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade said the project proposal is currently with the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) for approval.
“There are certain compliances which are being requested and mandated on the proponent,” Tugade said during the virtual event hosted by the Management Association of the Philippines.
In 2018, DOTr awarded the original proponent status (OPS) to Chelsea Logistics Holdings Corp. for its proposal to expand, operate and maintain the Davao International Airport.
Tugade did not discussed the details of the negotiations but once the government makes a final approval by July, the Swiss challenge may proceed.
Goddes Libiran, DOTr assistant secretary, said the schedule for the Swiss challenge would depend on the completion of the negotiations. If the negotiations would be settled by July, it is possible to hold the Swiss challenge this year.
“We only do Swiss challenge after successful negotiations,” Libiran said.
Apart from the Davao airport, other aviation projects in the pipeline are the Clark International Airport new passenger terminal and the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) rehabilitation.
The new passenger terminal building of Clark International Airport is set for inauguration by mid-June and operation by July, Tugade said.
As for NAIA, Tugade said the government through Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA) will continue the improvement of the gateway.
“The unsolicited proposal has been put on hold. The improvement of NAIA is better to be done by MIAA itself because it has the funds, because it can progress it further without the hassle of the unsolicited proposal,” he said.
Last December, MIAA revoked the OPS granted to Megawide and GMR Infrastructure for their P108.75-billion unsolicited proposal for NAIA, without citing specific reasons.
“In fact, for NAIA, a month after we have terminated the unsolicited proposal we have inaugurated the new apron and new taxiway, and several improvements have been done,” Tugade said.
DOTr inaugurated the upgraded airside facilities of NAIA, which aim to boost the gateway’s maximum allowable commercial flight movement capacity from 40 to 50 flight movements per hour, or a total of 240 commercial flight movements per day.
Source: Malaya