Laguindingan Airport Set to Open June 15
President Aquino was part of the delegation that made the final inspection of the P7.8 billion Laguindingan Airport on Tuesday, June 11, 2013.
The first newly built airport to be opened under the Aquino Administration is intended as the gateway to Northern Mindanao. The first day of flights is not scheduled until Saturday, June 15. The launch of operations was pushed back from April 30 after the airlines requested that the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines postpone the transfer in order to not inconvenience peak season travellers.
Four airlines including Cebu Pacific, PAL Express, Philippine Airlines, and Zest Air will be making the move from Lumbia Airport. The old airport in Cagayan de Oro will be transferred to the Philippine Air Force. Concerns were previously raised over the readiness of the new gateway's facilities but President Aquino, Transportation Secretary Joseph Abaya, and CAAP Director General Wiliam Hotchkiss will all be on hand to perform one last final check to ensure the readiness of the new airport.
According to the Department of Transportation and Communications, the consensus from CAAP, airlines, and aviation experts is that even with the use of VFR alone, Laguindingan Airport is already a safer airport than Lumbia. This is apparently because the location of Laguindingan Airport reduces threats of weather conditions posed at the location of the old airport.
The DOTC went on to say that the new airport which sits on 400 hectares of land offers more room for expansion. It features a passenger terminal capable of handling up to 1.6 million passengers per year and a 2.1 kilometre runway. The intention is for CAAP to temporarily operate the airport under Visual Flight Rules (VFR) until an Instrument Landing System can be installed by May 2014.
Although plans for Languindingan Airport have existed since 1991, land acquisition and financing remained barriers to progress. Construction of the new airport was funded through the Official Development Assistance program from South Korea along with the Economic Development Cooperation Fund, and Export-Import Bank of Korea.
The first newly built airport to be opened under the Aquino Administration is intended as the gateway to Northern Mindanao. The first day of flights is not scheduled until Saturday, June 15. The launch of operations was pushed back from April 30 after the airlines requested that the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines postpone the transfer in order to not inconvenience peak season travellers.
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| Photo Source: Rappler |
According to the Department of Transportation and Communications, the consensus from CAAP, airlines, and aviation experts is that even with the use of VFR alone, Laguindingan Airport is already a safer airport than Lumbia. This is apparently because the location of Laguindingan Airport reduces threats of weather conditions posed at the location of the old airport.
The DOTC went on to say that the new airport which sits on 400 hectares of land offers more room for expansion. It features a passenger terminal capable of handling up to 1.6 million passengers per year and a 2.1 kilometre runway. The intention is for CAAP to temporarily operate the airport under Visual Flight Rules (VFR) until an Instrument Landing System can be installed by May 2014.
Although plans for Languindingan Airport have existed since 1991, land acquisition and financing remained barriers to progress. Construction of the new airport was funded through the Official Development Assistance program from South Korea along with the Economic Development Cooperation Fund, and Export-Import Bank of Korea.
President Aquino and his administration has several other airport projects lined up to help increase tourism and trade to the country.
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