The Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA) advised passengers at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) of possible inconvenience due to the scheduled 12-hour final works on the centralized cooling system of Terminal 3.
In a statement, MIAA said the upgrade of the air-cooling system will start at 9 p.m. on Tuesday, July 16, and is expected to end at 9 a.m. the following day, July 17.
The 12-hour works cover installation of six new cooling towers that will be strategically installed to optimize piping infrastructure, thereby upgrading and significantly improving overall system efficiency of the air conditioning system in Terminal 3.
“The new cooling tower piping will be connected to the main piping lines of the chiller plant. To accomplish this, the centralized cooling system will be temporarily shut down to facilitate the works,” the MIAA statement read.
“During this period, the MIAA said only the fans and blowers of the air conditioning units will operate to enable air circulation in various areas and the felt temperature may not also reach optimal comfort levels at said time.”
“To mitigate this, stand-alone air conditioning units will be deployed in various areas of the terminal for spot cooling as backup. Once the new cooling towers are fully integrated into the chilled water system, it is expected that normal and more efficient operation of the air conditioning units will be gradually restored,” it added.
The 12-hour working hours, according to MIAA, may also affect the check-in counters, immigration departure, final security checks for domestic and international flights, baggage carousels for international and domestic arrivals, and the arrival lobby.
Approximately 27,000 arriving and departing passengers on 117 flights may experience discomfort due to reduced air circulation during the 12-hour interruption.
MIAA's medical team will be on high alert and ready to respond to any medical emergency.