To say that Ninoy Aquino International Airport is not in the same league as the likes of Singapore Changi Airport is an understatement. Our main international gateway continues to be an embarrassment that is loathed by foreigners and locals alike. Its string of administrative and operational fumbles sadly takes a toll on the passenger experience.

But according to San Miguel Corporation, there is hope in its newly formed venture called New NAIA Infra Corporation (NNIC). This consortium promises to turn NAIA into something that’s at least acceptable by human standards. This is unquestionably a tall order, which is why a hefty P170 billion is needed to turn NNIC’s vision into reality.

The project does have goals that can be realistically achieved within a short time frame. For example, functioning air-conditioners and toilets will be installed within six months of the September 14 turnover. Improvements to commercial spaces and traffic flow are targeted in three years.

But NNIC also has some rather ambitious targets that it plans to work on during its 25-year concession period. It will do something about flood control around NAIA’s perimeter, and it will link the airport to the upcoming Metro Manila Subway. It will also build a new terminal building that can accommodate 35 million passengers annually.

Now, I can get behind the projected improvements in public facilities. After all, a terminal building in a tropical country needs properly cold air-conditioning. Additionally, nothing really beats answering Mother Nature’s call in a clean and serviceable toilet. I am also supportive of NNIC’s plans to mitigate flooding around NAIA and make the airport more accessible to public transport.

But what I am concerned about is how the proposed additional terminal will affect airport operations in practice. Increasing passenger capacity might be a good thing. But if the current airport layout remains the same, this might end up being a case of more aircraft jostling for limited space (much like how Skyway Stage 3 is during rush hour).

Unlike parallel runways at other international airports, NAIA’s intersecting runways are not the most efficient for handling lots of traffic. The primary runway is suitable for large planes like the Airbus A380. However, the second one is shorter and narrower. It is limited to small turboprop aircraft like the ATR 72, as well as jetliners with weight restrictions to shorten their takeoff runs.

The intersecting layout of NAIA’s runways does not provide any kind of redundancy when things go pear-shaped. This flaw was exposed in 2018 when a XiamenAir Boeing 737 botched its landing and closed the main runway for 36 hours. This incident canceled hundreds of flights and left thousands of passengers stranded.

Even the solution of building a parallel runway isn’t really feasible because there is simply no space for it. NAIA is already boxed in by commercial establishments and residential areas, so there is no room for expansion. The additional aircraft that will be using the new terminal will end up being stuck waiting in line to use the primary runway.

What is also missing from NNIC’s improvement plan is transportation between NAIA’s terminals. Using Changi Airport as an example, passengers can easily transfer between its concourses on foot or by using a network of complimentary train and bus services. At NAIA, consider yourself lucky if you don’t get scammed by a cabbie on your way to another terminal.

Looking at the bigger picture, I struggle to see the reason behind rehabilitating NAIA at this scale when New Manila International Airport is also being built. Again, the concession period is 25 years, so I’d like to assume that the new airport will be completed within that time. With NMIA’s planned four runways, its capacity should make NAIA unnecessary.

NNIC might say that it is just adopting something similar to Seoul’s two airports. Incheon International Airport handles most international services, while the smaller Gimpo International Airport deals with domestic and select international flights. Both are served by a dedicated train line and expressway, making transfers convenient.

But for now, there is no such thing within NAIA and NMIA. And crucially, NNIC hasn’t mentioned anything about it. Perhaps the saving grace for this one might be some kind of connection to MRT-7 (another SMC project), which has a planned station at the new airport.

SMC and its partners might say that the motivation for such a project is purely public service. However, it shouldn’t come as a surprise anymore that money talks in this part of the world. NNIC will certainly not do things out of charity, so there must be a reward that’s significant enough to make the P170-billion investment worth every centavo.

Just to be clear, I’m not resistant to change. I’m an aviation enthusiast, so anything that would benefit the industry and the traveling public is good news to me. Rehabilitating NAIA might sound like a noble undertaking. But for me, it is just like trying to resuscitate someone who has been dead for many, many years.