AirAsia Group Bhd will bid on an operation and maintenance contract for Clark International Airport in the Pampanga province of the Philippines.

In his tweet today, Group chief executive officer Tony Fernandes said the group, together with its subsidiaries in Indonesia and the Philippines, would be bidding for the airport's 25-year operation and maintenance contract.

"Bringing Asean together. Indonesia, Malaysia and Philippines to bid for Clarke airport in Manila and build a big east Asean hub. Walking the talk on Asean. Kudos to Indonesia airports. Look what can be done in Asean when we work together,” he tweeted.

According to news reports, the Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA) said the preliminary timeline for the project indicates a target for contract awarding and signing on Aug 30, but BCDA will accept bids until late August.

The development of the new terminal in Pampanga province, which is slated to be opened in July 2020, aims to decongest the Ninoy Aquino International Airport in Manila.

The BCDA is a government-owned and controlled corporation under the Office of the President of the Philippines.

It engages in public-private partnerships to push forward vital public infrastructure such as tollways, airports, seaports, and also major real estate developments.

In May, eight companies bought bid documents for the operations and maintenance including Megawide Construction Corp, Metro Pacific Investments Corp and San Miguel Holdings Corp.

Around 30 groups also attended the pre-bid conference for the project held on May 21, including AirAsia Group, Udenna Corp and JG Summit Holdings.

--Bernama