A Korean company expressed interest to improve and upgrade five domestic airports in the country by participating in Public-Private Partnership or PPP projects being undertaken by the government, the Department of Foreign Affairs said.
In a statement, a team from the Korea Airports Corp. led by Director Youn Sang Gyu told Philippine Ambassador to South Korea Raul Hernandez its “keen interest” to bid for management and operation rights for five unbundled regional airport contracts under the PH government’s PPP scheme.
The DFA said the Department of Transportation invited several foreign companies, including KAC, and prospective investors to pre-qualify and bid for the development, operation and maintenance projects of the Bacolod-Silay, Davao, Iloilo, Laguindingan (Cagayan de Oro), and Bohol (Panglao) airports worth a total of P108.18 billion.
Hernandez said the Philippine Embassy welcomes the avid interest of KAC to participate in the bidding, given its excellent track record in airports management.
The ambassador expressed hope that “if the KAC succeeds in its bid, the KAC would be able to contribute its technological expertise in developing and upgrading the Philippines’ five regional airports as the KAC is known for ensuring the efficiency and timelines of flights at regional airports it oversees and manages.”
KAC specializes in the construction, management and operation of airports and is currently the world’s third-largest air control devices manufacturer, the DFA said.
The firm operates 14 regional airports in Korea, including Gimpo International Airport in Seoul, which was that country’s main international terminal before being replaced by the Incheon airport in 2001.
KAC has also developed its own aviation technologies, such as the DVOR (Doppler Very High Frequency Omni Range), FIS (Flight Information System), and RFID (Radio Frequency Identification).
The firm is currently conducting cutting-edge research on an automatic dependent surveillance-broadcast (ADS-B) system, a next-generation GPS technology for tracking aircrafts, and has exported its aviation technologies to 16 countries including the Philippines, a company statement said.