In an effort to improve passenger comfort and address weak air conditioning in certain areas of the terminals of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA), the Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA) is mulling to acquire additional generator sets.
MIAA General Manager Eric Ines said they are considering renting generator sets temporarily to alleviate the heat at the airport until the purchasing process is complete.
"We will try to rent as much as possible until we have a permanent generator because we can't just buy one at such a high price," Ines said.
Even though the air conditioning units at Terminal 2 are still operational, they are experiencing issues with insufficient electrical power supply to adequately cool the space during the summer heat, affecting travelers mostly seniors and minors.
"If all of the air conditioning units are running simultaneously, there is a risk of overloading the power system and causing a power outage because the switch gears at the MIAA power station are outdated and require replacement," Ines explained.
One of the primary factors attributing to the elevated temperatures experienced in the departure area of NAIA Terminal 2 is the architectural design of the building being filled with glass, allowing heat from outside to enter the facilities.
Travelers at NAIA Terminal 2 endured hot temperatures during Holy Week as a result of inadequate air conditioning caused by frequent power fluctuations. MIAA worked diligently to find a way to reduce the high temperatures in Terminal 2.
The airport manager said many chillers at MIAA are old. So what they do is they take some chillers that they use in Terminal 3 and transfer it to the hot areas in Terminal 2.
He also said that due to the lack of generator sets, the MIAA engineering department is planning to hire generator sets that would provide enough power for the airport.
The airport chief said that MIAA requires six-megawatt generators to guarantee uninterrupted power and prevent any issues or worries about power outages in case of failure in Meralco's power supply.
Ines, however, is requesting assistance from the consortium to enhance Terminal 2 before operations are transferred in September.
He mentioned that they are currently waiting to see if the new group will agree to offer help, as per the president's directive, stressing the importance of the situation.
The government recently signed a concession agreement with a group led by the San Miguel Corporation (SMC) for the improvement of NAIA, which is widely recognized as one of the world's worst airports.
The SMC-led group has been awarded the P171-billion contract to rehabilitate, operate and maintain the country's premier airport, which has been criticized for issues like infestations, missing bags, thefts, extortion, brownouts, and other technical glitches.
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