Metro Manila’s long-awaited new airport could be one step closer to reality after the U.S. Trade and Development Agency (USTDA) approved funding for a feasibility study at Sangley Point in Cavite.
The study, awarded to Cavitex Holdings Inc. and conducted by California-based The S-A-P Group, LLC, will evaluate technical, financial, and security requirements for the proposed Sangley Point International Airport (SPIA).
Officials say the project could relieve severe congestion at Ninoy Aquino International Airport, which served roughly 52 million passengers in 2025, while boosting Metro Manila’s capacity for both passenger and cargo traffic.
“Growing travel demand between the Philippines and the United States makes this project timely,” said USTDA Deputy Director Thomas R. Hardy. He added the study will also recommend advanced security systems to support direct flights to major U.S. hubs, reinforcing a “free and open Indo-Pacific.”
Cavitex Holdings President and CEO Leonides J.M. Virata highlighted the economic potential: tens of thousands of jobs, smoother mobility, and billions of pesos in long-term activity.
SPIA is part of the larger Luzon Economic Corridor initiative, designed to strengthen infrastructure, connectivity, and economic resilience across the Philippines’ key growth regions.
