Naia 3 to turn off cooling system for 12 hours
The Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA) announced on Sunday that the air-conditioning system of Ninoy Aquino International Airport’s (Naia) Terminal 3 will be turned off for 12 hours to allow the installation of six new cooling towers.
MIAA said in a statement that Terminal 3’s cooling system will have to be shut down from 9 p.m. of July 16 (Tuesday) to 9 a.m. of July 17 (Wednesday) so that the new cooling towers could be connected to the main chiller plant.
“[But] to accomplish this, the centralized cooling system will be temporarily shut down to facilitate the works,” it said.
During the 12-hour downtime, the air-conditioning at 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 would all be affected.
“During this period, only the fans and blowers of the air-conditioning units will operate to enable air circulation in various areas. 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,” MIAA said.
“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.
Around 27,000 arriving and departing passengers on 117 local and international flights might experience discomfort due to reduced air circulation during the 12-hour interruption.
MIAA’s medical team would be on high alert and ready to respond to any medical emergency.
“Please bear with us. The upgrades are intended to bolster the terminal’s capability to maintain ideal temperatures efficiently thereby ensuring a more pleasant experience for all airport users,” MIAA general manager Eric Ines said.
