NAIA Terminal 3 centralized cooling system to be shut down for 12 hours

The centralized cooling system of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport  (NAIA) Terminal 3 will be temporarily shut down for select hours on  Tuesday and Wednesday, as its operator is set to undertake a 12-hour  system upgrade.

In an advisory released Sunday, the Manila  International Airport Authority (MIAA) said the centralized cooling system of NAIA Terminal 3 will be shut down from 9 p.m. to 9 a.m. on  Tuesday, July 16, to Wednesday, July 17, 2024.

“During this period, only the fans and blowers of the air conditioning units will operate to enable air circulation in various areas. The felt temperature may not also reach optimal comfort levels at said time,” the advisory read.

“Approximately 27,000 arriving and departing passengers on 117 flights may experience discomfort due to reduced air circulation during the 12-hour interruption. MIAA’s medical team will be on high alert and ready to respond to any medical emergency,” it added.

This comes as MIAA is set to install six new cooling towers, which will be connected to the main piping lines of the chiller plant. Stand-alone air conditioning units would be deployed as backup during the installation.

“Please bear with us. The upgrades are intended to bolster the terminal’s capability to maintain ideal temperatures efficiently thereby ensuring a more pleasant experience for all airport users,” MIAA General Manager Eric Jose said.

The government is aiming to turn over operations and maintenance of NAIA to the private proponent consortium led by diversified conglomerate San Miguel Corp. by September 14, 2024.

The Department of Transportation (DOTr) inked the P170.6-billion concession agreement with the NAIA Infra Corp. — then called SMC SAP & Co.  Consortium — in March, after it offered the highest share of its future revenues from operating the airport to the government.

San Miguel Corp. President and Chief Executive Officer Ramon Ang earlier unveiled plans to build a new passenger terminal building with a capacity of 35 million passengers per year, with a carpark that has a capacity of 9,000 vehicles. — DVM, GMA Integrated News