New NAIA Infra Corp. (NNIC) and Philippine Airlines (PAL) signed an Airport Use Agreement (AUA) governing the flag carrier’s operations at Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA), the first such standardized agreement with an airline under NNIC’s management of the country’s main gateway.
The agreement sets key performance indicators aimed at improving operational efficiency and aligning airline operations with the service levels NNIC itself is required to meet under its concession agreement with the government.
NNIC intends to use the PAL AUA as the template for similar arrangements with other carriers operating at NAIA.
The move extends NAIA’s modernization beyond terminals, facilities and airport systems to the way operations are managed across the airport.
“This agreement gives us a clearer framework for setting expectations, measuring performance and working together to maintain consistent service standards,” NNIC President and CEO Ramon S. Ang said. “That is important to making airport operations more efficient and dependable.”
“This is a positive development for both PAL and NNIC, and ultimately for our passengers. It supports the continuing modernization of NAIA and our collective goal of delivering a better airport experience,” Lucio Tan III, President and COO of PAL Holdings, the parent company of PAL, said.
The AUA governs PAL’s use of airport facilities and infrastructure and sets out the respective responsibilities of the airline and airport operator. The service levels are part of PAL’s contractual obligations and include mechanisms for addressing persistent failure to meet agreed standards.
The framework is designed to support more consistent performance across airport operations and improve coordination among the different parties involved in moving passengers, baggage and aircraft through NAIA.
A single flight depends on several organizations performing their roles on time and in sequence. Delays in areas such as check-in, boarding, baggage handling, ramp operations or aircraft turnaround can affect not only passengers on that flight but succeeding flights and the wider airport operation.
By establishing common performance requirements and clearer accountability, NNIC said it will be better able to monitor service levels, identify where operational problems occur and require corrective action when necessary.
NNIC is taking a similar approach in its agreements with ground handling and other service providers at NAIA, setting operating requirements for companies performing critical functions on behalf of airlines within the airport.
These arrangements are aligned with existing government regulations and NNIC’s obligations under the NAIA concession.
Since taking over NAIA operations in September 2024, NNIC has been upgrading terminal facilities, airport systems, airfield infrastructure and passenger amenities while addressing long-standing capacity and operational constraints. The new operating frameworks extend that modernization to how airlines, service providers and the airport operator work together.
