Old NAIA T4 demolished, cargo terminal to be converted into new hub

Metro Manila, Philippines - The old domestic terminal at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) was demolished due to safety concerns, the gateway's private operator said.

Terminal 4 was closed in November to undergo renovation.

“Iyong ating terminal 4, lumang terminal 4 ay hindi na itutuloy dahil nakita namin na iyan ay isang malaking hazard, obstacle yan. Nabalita niyo naman yung nangyari sa Jeju Air na maraming namatay, ayaw natin mangyari sa ating bansa iyon kaya dinemolish na lang natin iyon at hindi na natin tatayuan ng additional structure,” Lito Alvarez, New NAIA Infra Corp. (NNIC) general manager said in a press briefing on Thursday, April 10.

[Translation: Our Terminal 4, the old Terminal 4, will no longer be pursued because we found that it poses a major hazard, it's an obstacle. You probably heard about what happened with Jeju Air, where many people died. We don't want something like that to happen in our country. That's why we just demolished it and decided not to build any additional structures there.]

In December 2024, over 100 passengers died after a Jeju Air plane landed and skidded off the end of the runway, and caught fire as it slammed into a concrete barrier at the Muan International Airport in South Korea. NAIA’s T4 is situated near the northern end of runway 13/31.

Alvarez said the NNIC will convert the old international cargo terminal to a passenger hub to replace Terminal 4.

Once the structure is established, he said this will be allotted for domestic flights of AirAsia and Cebu Pacific.

“In the next three months asahan niyo sa pakikipagtulungan ng government agencies at saka ng mga cargo, bonded warehouse operators, mailipat namin sila sa isang temporary facility at mai-convert na natin iyon na panibagong terminal,” said Alvarez.

[Translation: In the next three months, you can expect that with the help of government agencies and cargo and bonded warehouse operators, we will be able to transfer them to a temporary facility and begin converting that area into a new terminal.]

Meanwhile, the NNIC official said the operator is set to demolish the old Philippine Village Hotel on April 21 to pave the way for the construction of Terminal 5.

He said the new terminal’s construction may take two to three years.