PASAY CITY, 12 December 2023 – The Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA) is concluding the series of planned electrical maintenance activities at Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 3 on Wednesday, December 13.
The seventh and final installment of segmented power-related maintenance at NAIA Terminal 3 will start at 11:00 p.m. on December 12 and conclude at 2:00 a.m. on December 13. This will involve a three-hour power interruption affecting the terminal’s North Concourse area, where Cebu Pacific Air’s domestic flights are served.
Similar to the previous six installments that began on November 29, MIAA’s generator sets will provide power to essential equipment and facilities, ensuring continuous passenger processing and uninterrupted flight operations.
Major equipment prioritized by generator set load includes baggage handling systems, check-in counters, passenger boarding bridges, air conditioning, and security protocols. However, lighting will be limited during these hours.
MIAA Officer-in-Charge Bryan Co explains, “Even when we mention that lighting will be affected, we make sure that at least 50% of the lights are functional and all critical systems are working so that we can ensure that no flights are affected in terms of possible cancellations or delays.”
“So far, we are very happy to report that in the past six activities, we’ve been able to do this switchover and do the upgrades properly without any impact on flight operations. No cancellations or delays are attributable to our power upgrades,” added Co, who expects the same smooth outcome for the final installment.
The airport chief noted that the maintenance works are scheduled well ahead of the anticipated Christmas rush starting on December 22, on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays, which are the leanest days of the week, and during the leanest hours of the terminal, particularly from 11 p.m. to 2 a.m. tonight.
Since the start of the maintenance works conducted by Meralco, power cables have been upgraded to larger ones, voltage circuit breakers and relays have been replaced by new ones, and relay settings have been optimized. This initiative is part of MIAA’s commitment to improving the overall reliability of NAIA Terminal 3’s electrical systems.
“For us to have a more reliable system, upgrades are coming. We apologize and ask for understanding from our passengers. Some may notice deficiencies, such as in lighting and other facilities. None of them are critical, but nevertheless, of course, we ask for their support. We are doing this to enhance our facilities at NAIA,” said Co.