Philippines approves plan to build new airport hinh anh 1Illustrative image (Source: gulfnews.com)

Hanoi (VNA) - The Philippines on July 31 approved a plan to build a new airport near Manila, in a bid to ease congestion with the capital's existing airport operating at full capacity.

Philippine conglomerate San Miguel will build the airport in Bulakan town, north of Manila Bay, that will feature four parallel runways and serve 100-200 million passengers a year, a government statement said.

This new international airport is important in helping ease the congestion of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport in Manila, Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade said.

San Miguel, which was the only company to bid for the project, will have to break ground on the 14 billion USD project before the end of the year and open for business no later than 2025.

The existing Manila airport, which has two runways, handled nearly 260,000 flights and served 45 million passengers last year.-VNA
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