DOTC Announces P6 billion for Kalibo International Airport Development

The Department of Transportation and Communications has announced that it will embark on P6 billion in projects to develop and modernize the Kalibo International Airport. According to Transportation Secretary Joseph Abaya, the projects would include a runway extension and expansion, additional apron space, roads, and a new terminal building that could be completed in three years. 

kalibo international airport
Image Source: Panoramio
Abaya discussed the projects with Governor Florencio Miraflores and Congressman Teodorico Haresco last week. The primary purpose of the project is to decongest the rising number of passengers travelling through Kalibo International Airport as they make their way to Boracay Island. According to Abaya, the P6 billion investment will still be subject to the approval of the National Economic and Development Authority Board.

“Kulang ang pasilidad sa Kalibo airport sa dami ng pasahero, siguro mga dalawang milyon this year,” said Abaya. “Isa ito sa mga biggest challenges (ng airport) … Panahon pa ni Secretary Mar Roxas, tinitingnan na niya ang kalagayan dito.”

In order to comply with International Civil Aviation Organization standards, the Kalibo International Airport runway will need to be extended to 2.5 kilometers and expanded to 300 meters. “Mahalaga na mag-comply tayo sa standards for the safety of the passengers,” Abaya added.

Under the airport development plan, new terminal buildings will be relocated for better access to the Kalibo Circumferential Road, while additional parking bays will be constructed to accommodate more aircraft. According to Abaya, the Godofredo Ramos Airport in Caticlan operated by San Miguel Corporation is expected to be able to accommodate larger commercial aircraft by the end of this year, but Kalibo will remain the primary gateway for regional flights from Asia and Southeast Asia.
“The airports have their own roles to play,” said Abaya. “The Kalibo airport, however, remains the gateway for regional flights from Asia and Southeast Asia dahil sa significant load penalty factor for airline companies in Caticlan.”

Singapore based SilkAir and AirAsia of Malaysia recently announced that they would each be launching direct routes to Kalibo from their respective hubs in Southeast Asia. Governor Miraflores says that the existing airport terminal has a capacity of handling approximately 700,000 passengers annually but the rapidly rising passenger volume means that expansion is needed.

"For the past few years,the number of passenger traffic is increasing and there is a need to expand the facilities to provide convenience for two million passengers annually,” Miraflores said. He added that officials from the DoTC have asked the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines to fast track the construction of a new airport terminal building, which was originally supposed to be completed by October 2014.

While the new terminal building is under construction, the expansion of the apron is already underway with targeted completion within the next two months. When complete, additional parking bays will be available for more aircraft. Earlier this year, AirAsia revealed that it intends to make Kalibo International Airport a secondary hub offering up to 320 domestic and international flights weekly to Korea, China, Taiwan, and Malaysia. The budget carrier plans to launch new flights from Kalibo as early as July, contingent on the necessary development at the airport to accommodate expansion.
  

16 comments:

  1. This is good news for KIA....There has been may incidences of overshooting and crowded airport. It's time that the passengers will be given comfort for such a tourist gateway.

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  2. Hindi lang terminal pati runway paki dual rin just in case maging naia situation yan in the future.hello goverment officials,paganahin ang utak paminsan minsan!!!

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  3. Grabe ka namang makapagcomment, parang andami mong alam. Utak mo kaya ang paganahin mo ng hindi ka padalos dalos mag isip

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    1. He is right, philipine officials has immature vision or call it blurred vision.im sure his comment are smart than you...tama cya ikaw hindi,cguro nasa governo ikaw at sapol

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    2. Ikaw ang di gumagamit ng utak. Para kang mga opisyales na quick fixes at short term lang ang iniisip.

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    3. Of course pilot ako ng pal at natural na marami akong alam tungkol sa airports at terminal,ikaw isang goverment employee lang na may zombie role na sunod sunoran sa brainless airport manager.ayan in tagalog para maintindihan.hahaha

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    4. Hes not reckless just futuristic..time comes when all domestic airport needs dual or quad runways.naia badly needs 4 runways while cebu needs 2 runways....there is no room for short term fixes,think about it if you got a brain

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    5. This comment has been removed by the author.

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    6. Let's qualify your comment for a second. NAIA doesn't need four runways. It cannot fit two runways, let alone four. The runway the CAAP wants to build next to the first one? That cannot even do simultaneous landings, so at best, it can alternate landings and takeoffs with the old, longer one. And the new runway can barely handle single-aisle types. We'll likely see turboprops land on the parallel runway. And what happens if the crosswind is too strong? Neither runway can be used, because they are parallel. Parallel runways are only beneficial if they are far enough apart to warrant dual landings/take-offs. If they aren't, they are worse than intersecting runways.

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  4. Hahaha. What a very insightful discussion. So.....pedestrian.

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    1. I like that word. I'm gonna use it starting now. "That's so pedestrian."

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  5. Put also taxiway parallel to runway.

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  6. Long Long overdue...

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  7. hindi kailangan dual ang runway para magkaroon ng mas maraming flights, lalo na sa airport na kasing liit lang ng kalibo. ang gatwick, isang runway lang, 34 million ang pasaherong dumaan doon last year.
    maraming factors ang kailingan gawin upang makamit ang ganitong efficiency, tulad ng pahabain ang runway, lagyan ng instrument landing systems, lagyan ng parallel taxiways at express exits, magkaroon ng magandang programa ng airspace management, at magkaroon ng mas malawak na airport terminal. kahit ilang runway ilagay mo, kung isa lang ang parallel taxiwway, magkakaroon ka pa rin ng bottle neck papuntang terminal. at kung maliit din ang area mo for airport stands at apron, hindi mo pwedeng ibaba ang mga pasahero sa runway o kahit saan lamang.
    malaking factor din ang space na pagmamay-ari ng airport, dahil pag wala ito, hindi magagawa ang supporting infrastructure.
    saka sana maintindihan natin na ang paggawa ng runway, ay hindi kasing dali ng paggawa ng konkretong daan sa labas ng bahay natin. mahal ito, at kailangang kayanin ang ilang toneladang eroplanong lalanding dito na minsan, segundo lang ang agwat. mas mahal gumawa ng runway kesa gumawa ng terminal. at aanhin mo ang dalawang runway kung ang pasahero mo ay two million lang?
    hindi stupid ang mga komento dito. sadyang pedestrian lang talaga, ika nga ng isang nag koment.

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  8. Definitely, Kalibo needs to be upgraded.
    But while money is being spent there, can the government please get off its fat behind and build a new international airport for Manila??? The current airport is a disgrace to the country!

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  9. Kailanagan talaga e upgrade ang KIA. Alam nyo ba na ang KIA ang gumagastos sa mga airport sa pilipinas na d kumikita? pang sweldo lng sa mga employees sa ibang aiport sa KIA pa galing.. Like.. Bacolod Airport, Iloilo Airport, Antique Airport..

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