The Department of Transportation said on Tuesday it received a proposal from a venture backed by Gokongwei’s JG Summit Holdings, which owns Cebu Pacific, and the Gotianun clan’s Filinvest Group.
The firms already operate Clark International Airport in Pampanga, which is expected to breach the 3-million passenger mark this year.
Bundled airports, millions of passengers
Fresh private sector funding will help expand these regional gateways as they seek to capture more domestic and international traffic amid congestion at Manila’s Ninoy Aquino International Airport (Naia).
Davao, the country’s third busiest gateway with millions of annual passengers, is included in the deal alongside popular tourist airports such as Bicol and Siargao.
The Department of Transportation is separately expanding Siargao Airport ahead of the PPP bid, with plans to triple the terminal’s capacity from 200 to at least 750 passengers daily, DOTr secretary Vince Dizon said in a television interview.
InsiderPH reported last September that the the Filinvest Group was eyeing an unsolicited bid to modernize the Davao International Airport.
The Philippine Star reported this week that the Gokongwei-Gotianun offer was made via the Philippine Regional Airports Consortium.
Conglomerates eye airport opportunities
A successful bid—which still requires government approval and a mandated Swiss or competitive challenge process—would allow the Gokongwei-Gotianun tandem to strengthen their foothold in the Philippine airport sector.
It would also help them narrow the gap with the Aboitiz Group, the country’s largest regional airport operator, which holds the Mactan-Cebu International Airport and has concessions to operate Laguindingan and Bohol-Panglao International Airports.
Last month, Aboitiz InfraCapital announced the sale of a 40 percent stake to global fund management giant BlackRock, securing a powerful partner as it eyes future expansion.
The largest private airport operator in the Philippines remains San Miguel Corp., which controls Naia and the Boracay Airport.
Miguel R. Camus has been a reporter covering various domestic business topics since 2009.
