Manila airport renovates runway to boost flight movement capacity

Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) in the Philippines has completed a runway upgrade to expand aircraft movement capacity by 25%, with the aim to increase this further with additional renovations this year and next. NAIA’s upgraded Runway 13/31, which serves mostly domestic flights and short-haul aircraft such as the Airbus A320, was unveiled on 16 February, according to a same-day update on the DOTr website. The completed repair and cement overlay of Runway 13/31, as well as the construction of an additional holding area (H5) at Runway 13, will boost the maximum allowable commercial flight movement capacity from 40 to 50 flight movements per hour, or 240 flights per day. The DOTr expects the overlay of Runway 13/31 to last between 15 to 20 years, adding that it is less prone to potholes, soft spots and rutting. A concrete surface also requires less maintenance and repair, which would mean fewer traffic delays and flight disruptions, it says. Previously, the runways, taxiways, aircraft holding areas and aprons “constantly” suffered from potholes and surface depressions, which “caused longer aircraft ground time prior to landing and/or take off” and limited the number of aircraft movements per hour, causing flight delays and congestion, the DOTr adds.<br/>