Lucio Tan's MacroAsia secures long-term lease for massive NAIA maintenance hub
MacroAsia Corp., the aviation services firm controlled by taipan Lucio Tan, secured the long-term future of its primary earnings engine after its associate signed a fresh lease agreement for its maintenance complex at Metro Manila’s main gateway.
In a disclosure to the Philippine Stock Exchange, MacroAsia said Lufthansa Technik Philippines Inc., the company’s joint venture with Germany’s Lufthansa Technik AG, entered into the contract with New NAIA Infra Corp. (NNIC).
The specific terms and duration of the deal were not immediately disclosed. The signing concluded months of negotiations that followed the expiration of the facility’s previous 25-year lease in August 2025.
Since that time, the country’s largest aircraft maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) provider had been operating under a month-to-month arrangement with NNIC, the San Miguel Corp.-led consortium that took over operations of Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) in September 2024.
Previous disclosures from MacroAsia indicated that the joint venture was bracing for a steep hike in rental expenses.
Under the original agreement signed in 2000, the venture paid roughly ₱64.84 per square meter. However, preliminary projections suggested those rates could surge to approximately ₱710 per square meter under the new management regime.
Spanning 22.6 hectares within the NAIA complex, the Lufthansa Technik facility is a critical node in the global aviation supply chain. It employs nearly 4,000 workers and operates five hangars capable of servicing the world’s largest commercial aircraft, including the Airbus A380 and Boeing 777.
The hub’s ability to handle up to six widebody and three narrowbody aircraft simultaneously has made it a preferred partner for both domestic flag carriers and international airlines.