Busuanga Airport Modernization Project Set to Proceed

The Francisco B. Reyes Airport on Busuanga Island, gateway to the popular tourist attractions of northern Palawan, is finally set for a complete rehabilitation and upgrade after President Aquino approved nine infrastructure projects including the Busuanga Airport Modernization Project.

Copyright Photo: D.Wilson/PFN

The P4.1 billion project aims to upgrade the airport from a turbo-prop only airport to a jet capable airport through the realignment of the airport's existing runway. Terminal facilities will also be modernized, which will pave the way for larger aircraft to serve the destination from points beyond Manila. 

With an expected completion before 2017, the revitalized airport is expected to address the increase in air traffic and tourism in northern Palawan through the enhancement of the terminal facilities, which will also expand the capacity of the airport. In recent years, passenger traffic at the airport has risen by an annual average growth rate of 47 percent.  

The implementation of this project is anticipated between 2015 and 2016. It will be funded from the national budget under the Department of Transportation and Communications. According to a statement released by the DOTC, the project will now proceed to the bidding stage. "The transport agency will first bid out the DED component within the third quarter of this year, then the construction component in the second quarter of 2015," the statement revealed. 

The project is expected to boost tourism growth in the region even further. According to Coron Mayor, Clara Reyes, the island-town expects to be one of the country's top tourism destinations through sustainable eco-tourism development. Coron is one of four towns that compose the Calamian Group of Islands in Northern Palawan. The region boasts pristine waters and beautiful diving spots including sunken Japanese warships, lagoons, coral-reef gardens, and a freshwater lake that is popular with both local and foreign tourists. 

"I envision Coron to be the top tourism destination in the country," said Reyes. She added that Palawan is considered the country's last frontier of ecological biodiversity with a lot more to offer tourists beyond Puerto Princesa's Underground River and the Tubbataha Reef. Tourist arrivals in Coron reached a record high 100,000 in 2012. 

Busuanga Airport used to have only two flights from Manila but now enjoys six to eight daily flights. The airport is currently served from Manila by Cebu Pacific, SkyJet, and PAL Express. SkyJet is currently the only carrier capable of providing jet service. Cebu Pacific also provides direct service to Coron from Cebu. Reyes says that in cooperation with the Department of Tourism, the local government is pushing for more inter-island flights that would bring local tourists to Coron without the need to travel through Manila. 

The Francisco B. Reyes Airport was last expanded in 2007 with a three million-dollar loan provided by the Korea International Cooperation Agency in partnership with the Department of Transportation and Communications. The last expansion included construction of a new terminal building and completion of the airport's previously unfinished concrete runway that was inaugurated by President Arroyo. The airport terminal was severely damaged by Super Typhoon Haiyan in November 2013.