NAIA parking lot operator to pay owners of vehicles that caught fire

The operator of Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 3’s open parking lot said it will pay the owners of the 19 vehicles that caught fire earlier this week.

Philippine News Agency reported that the Philippine Skylanders International Inc. (PSI) said it “shall shoulder all damages incurred by the owners of the vehicles involved.”

“This, however, shall not serve as an admission of fault or negligence on the part of PSI,” it said in a letter obtained by the press.

The Manila International Airport Authority, which manages NAIA, ordered the PSI to remove the grass over the parking area and cover it with gravel. Until then, the company cannot operate.

The PSI has gravel at the ready as it already intended to cover the grass before the fire happened, MIAA head executive assistant Chris Bendijo said in a press briefing.

MIAA acting general manager Eric Jose Ines has said a grassfire could be the reason for the blaze, especially since it could rapidly spread in the area.

The high heat index over the past few days could also be a factor, Bendijo added.

On April 22, the MIAA received reports of a fire past 1 p.m. It was declared out at 1:57 p.m.

The Bureau of Fire Protection has yet to give the official cause of the fire.

Of the 19 vehicle owners, seven of them have reached out to the MIAA, PNA reported.