New Naia Infra Corp. (NNIC) has issued formal notices to the owners of 27 aircraft that are left abandoned in the general aviation area of Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA), citing efficiency and safety concerns.

In a statement, NNIC said it is in coordination with the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) and the Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA) to identify the respective owners or authorized representatives of the abandoned planes.

The operator is urging immediate cooperation to verify ownership of the aircraft and facilitate the retrieval or disposition. 

“If no action is taken, NNIC will proceed with removal and disposal in accordance with applicable laws and regulations,” it said.

NNIC said it is initiating the process of clearing abandoned aircraft to make better use of the limited space in the country’s primary gateway.

The presence of these aircraft was found to be limiting operational capacity, on top of safety and security risks for passengers and employees alike.

NNIC noted that some of the aircraft remained idle despite previous attempts to dispose of them.

For instance, a Cessna 421B has remained parked at NAIA since 2009.

A Boeing 737-200, which occupies 865.52 square meters at the North Taxiway Extension, has been unused since 2015.

“Clearing these aircraft will free up space critical to improving aircraft parking and ground movement—especially as NAIA continues to experience growth in traffic,” NNIC said.

Since taking over operations and maintenance of NAIA in September 2024, the San Miguel Corp.-backed NNIC has pursued efforts to modernize facilities and address long-standing constraints. 

The Manila Slot Coordination Committee (MSCC) earlier ordered the gradual relocation of the smaller turboprop jets out of NAIA and into Clark International Airport and other regional airports.

The move was seen to decongest the airport, while allocating slots to bigger aircraft to increase passenger capacity.