Wrecked cars in NAIA parking fire to be shouldered by one company

If you’re one to keep up with the news and social media, you’ll know that a fire broke out at the outdoor parking lot extension of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) on Monday, April 22, 2024. 

Aftermath of NAIA parking extension fire [Photo: Manila International Airport Authority]

A total of 19 vehicles were engulfed and subsequently burnt to a crisp by the flames. According to those who were at the scene, including Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA) Acting General Manager Eric Jose Ines, the said fire spread rapidly. 

“What was initially reported to us was one vehicle catches fire, but when the Fire Department arrived to respond, there were already several others that were affected,” Ines said. 

Thankfully, no one was injured by the fire. Airport operations and scheduled flights were unaffected by the conflagration as well. 

This is a painful event for the owners of the cars caught in the fire. But as a show of good faith, NAIA Terminal 3 extension parking lot concessionaire Philippine Skylanders International Inc. (PSI) said in a statement that it will shoulder all damages caused by the fire, and it will be reaching out to the owners of the said vehicles. This though, does not serve as an admission of negligence on the part of the company. 

This parking lot is operated by Philippine Skylanders International Inc. [Photo: MIAA]

At the moment, the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) is already investigating to determine the cause of the incident and PSI shared that it will be cooperating with the said government agency. 

For now, no definitive cause for the blaze has been pointed out by the BFP, but do note that this happened on a very hot day, and on an open field with patches of dry grass. Ines likewise remarked that it was windy that day. 

To prevent similar incidents from happening in the future, the MIAA has already posted a firetruck in the said parking lot. 

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