INSIDER FOCUS: NAIA Terminal 1’s storied past… as its future under the private sector begins

September 11, 2024
7:53AM PHT
Updated: September 11, 2024
8:07AM PHT

In the lead up to the takeover of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) by San Miguel Corp.-led New NAIA Infra Corp., its general manager, Angelito Alvarez, recently announced terminal reassignments that are seen to improve efficiency.

Terminal 2 will be shared by Philippine Airlines (PAL) and Cebu Pacific (CEB) for their domestic flights; Terminal 3 will henceforth be open to all international airlines, and AirAsia will move its domestic connections to Terminal 4.

Meanwhile, Terminal 1, the main gateway for travelers to the Philippines, will be for the sole use of PAL, the country’s  flag carrier. 

With all the news reports -- and the attendant anticipation -- surrounding the immediate future of NAIA or the Manila International Airport (MIA)  complex for old-timers, it is only appropriate that we refresh our memories by providing a brief history of NAIA Terminal 1, the second oldest terminal in the complex.

Scale model of the new Manila International Airport (MIA) — now Terminal 1 of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport — by National Artist Leandro V. Locsin/ Source: Docu Lico 

A disastrous fire

On Jan. 22, 1972, a “fire of undetermined origin” destroyed the four-story MIA building, including the offices of Pan American World Airways, Northwest, and the critical control tower. The building, designed by Architect Federico Ilustre, had been inaugurated some 11 years prior on Sept. 22, 1961.

“Architect Federico Ilustre’s design for the new terminal was considered trendy during the 1960s,” writes Juan Miguel Leandro L. Quizon in a paper submitted to the Chinese University of Hong Kong, “fashionable even by global standards.”

As reported by the New York Times, the blaze, which lasted for four hours, forced the diversion of all domestic and international flights to Mactan, Cebu. It also left at least six dead with several missing. Total damage was estimated at $33 million.

In the interim, a smaller second terminal building became the international terminal until a new one was built and completed less than a decade later.

The new MIA terminal building under construction in the late 1970s./ Source: Brutalist Pilipinas

A new terminal rises

Then President Ferdinand Marcos immediately ordered the redevelopment of the MIA after the fire. Airways Engineering Corp. conducted the feasibility study, and Renardet-Sauti/Transplan/F.F. Cruz Consultants provided the engineering designTapped as architect was Leandro V. Locsin who, Quizon further writes, “used his original concept of a modernized bahay kubo or nipa hut.” 

Funded by a $29.6-million loan from the Asian Development Bank (ADB) in December 1973, actual work started only in the second quarter of 1978 and the MIA was reopened in 1982.  

“It took too long to build and was growing obsolete almost from the moment it opened,” wrote Paulo Alcazaren in 2011. Neighboring premier cities like Hong Kong, Kuala Lumpur and Singapore, in the meanwhile, had overtaken Manila in terms of airport terminal facilities, convenience and cleanliness.”

From MIA to NAIA

On Aug. 17, 1987, Republic Act No. 6639 was enacted and the MIA was renamed the Ninoy Aquino International Airport, in honor of the late senator who was slain on Aug. 21, 1983 upon his return to the country. 

In 2011, Budji Layug, Royal Pineda, and Kenneth Cobonpue -- interior designer, architect, and industrial designer, respectively -- teamed-up for “an unsolicited, pro-bono design for NAIA Terminal 1’s makeover” in partnership with the National Competitiveness Council of the Philippines (NCCP) under Guillermo M. “Bill” Luz who was the private sector co-chair.

"It's time someone did something about the worst airport in the world," Cobonpue said at that time.

A rendering of the makeover proposal for NAIA by Budji Layug, Royal Pineda, and Kenneth Cobonpue in 2013/ Source: Kenneth Cobonpue 

Dubbed by Layug as “Tropical Moderne,” their proposal was said to be simple, easy to maintain, sustainable, and cost-efficient. It included expanding the glass-enclosed arrival zone, removing walls for better natural light, overhauling the waiting lounge, converting the open parking into a three-floor structure, and adding a park with various food joints.

However, despite the positive publicity their unsolicited proposal (which they worked on for eight months) generated, and their assumption of approval by the Manila International Airport Authority and former Transportation Secretary Jose "Ping" de Jesus, the contract was awarded to Leandro V. Locsin & Associates. 

First major facelift in 30 years

With the ensuing brouhaha and bad press generated against airport authorities, MIAA general manager Jose Honrado said, “I’d like to make it clear that we made no formal commitment to them. They just presented their recommendations. They offered their services and we’re thankful for that.”

In 2013, It was announced that Cobonpue would be engaged by Transportation Secretary Joseph Emilio Abaya who said they “will be allowed to do the interior of the NAIA 1 building” with the Locsin firm retained as architects of record. 

By 2015, “the first major NAIA facelift in 30 years” was completed, as announced by the Palace.

Improvements made include new check-in counters, updates to the air-conditioning system, better lighting, new display boards, conveyor belts and renovated lavatories. Additionally, improvements to the arrival and departure were implemented.

Today, the building that started as a new and modern MIA is over four decades old, making it the second oldest terminal in the airport complex, after the old Manila Domestic Terminal which was constructed in 1948.

As the consortium, NNIC, takes over the management of NAIA this weekend, all indications point to the 42-year-old Terminal 1 continuing to serve well in its golden years.

About the author
Ramon C. Nocon
Ramon C. Nocon

Features Reporter

Featured News
Explore the latest news from InsiderPH
Tuesday, 5 November 2024
Insight to the one percent
© 2024 InsiderPH, All Rights Reserved.