Bicol International Airport to Become Operational in 2017

The Bicol Regional Development Council has indicated that the P4.7 billion Bicol International Airport, currently being constructed in Daraga, Albay is now forty-seven percent complete. Officials expect the airport to be fully operational in July 2017.
Image Source: DX / Skyscraper City Forums
The new airport will feature a two-story passenger terminal with floor space of 13,320 square meters. A number of other structures will also be constructed including a 271 square metre cargo facility, a 1,012 square metre administration building, and an 8,049 square metre vehicle parking lot. 

According to Albay Governor Joey Salceda, the new airport is expected to provide a safe, economical, and fast way of reaching local and international destinations that will trigger economic growth in the Bicol region. 

The new international airport will especially spur growth in the region's tourism industry, which draws tourists from all over the world to visit regional attractions such as the Mayon Volcano, whale sharks in Donsol, CamSur Watersports Complex, and the Caramoan Islands. In addition, the airport will also provide a better travel experience for locals and tourists, while creating benefits for airlines, travel agencies, construction companies, and cargo brokers.

The Bicol International Airport is located in the Guicadale Economic Township, which connects forty resettlement communities surrounding the airport, along with Guinobatan, Camalig, Daraga, and Legazpi City. These communities are expected to prosper and thrive as the airport creates a new economic zone.

Image Source: DX / Skyscraper City Forums
Bicol has been an underdeveloped region of the Philippines for several years and is in desperate need of better transportation infrastructure. The region has long suffered with the absence of a proper international airport capable of night time landing, which has led to stagnant growth. In addition, Philippine National Railways has failed to reconnect the region to Manila deterring growth further. 

Improved access to the area will result in the further development of tourism in the region, growth of the nation's pili nut and pili nut oil industry, as well as more investment and economic activity stretching beyond Manila and into the Bicol region. The new airport will be able to accommodate larger aircraft and the rising volume of tourists coming to the region. 

Legazpi Airport currently serves flights to Manila and Cebu. Although the airport provides a front row seat to the majestic Mayon Volcano, it is also in the middle of a disaster risk area, which has deterred investment. The new airport is located in an area that can handle investment and growth over the long term. 

Local tourism officials are hoping to see inter-island flights come to the Bicol International Airport in the future, connecting the region to the nation's other popular tourist destinations such as Boracay Island and Palawan. 

Image Source: DX / Skyscraper City Forums
Last December, the Department of Transportation and Communications released P781 million for the construction of landside facilities and buildings at the airport including the control tower. A number of other facilities will be constructed with the budget including the administration building, cargo terminal, power house, fire rescue building, maintenance buildings, water pump house, fuel storage tank, and material recovery facilities. 

The Province of Albay welcomed 339,000 tourists in 2013, representing a 47 percent increase over tourist arrivals in 2012. These figures do not include tourists visiting other parts of the Bicol region such as Camarines Sur. 

11 comments:

  1. I hope Gouverneur Salceda will push through the plan of linking the new airport to the PNR south main line that can act as an airport express train. The same scheme is also planned in Iloilo, reviving the defunct Panay Railways and constructing a branch line to the Iloilo International Airport.

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  2. provision for 2nd runway before any contruction such as residential houses pops up around the airport.

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  3. Bicol Region's population is also ever increasing, therefore, a new international airport will really spur economic, social and political growth. Thirty years ago, I spent my honeymoon in Zamboanga City, Cebu and Legaspi (I'm from Baguio). Last year (2014) I went back to Cebu by plane, boat to Tagbilaran, and Ormoc and bus travel to Tacloban, Catbalogan, then Legaspi City and boy, the population growth is very surprising!!! The time is now to push these important projects so that Bicol Region will not be experiencing much poverty which will quash rebellion and other types of social discontentment in the region. I also suggest that the RP government will improve the socio-economic growth in the Eastern Visayan Region like Samar, Leyte and the other provinces there!

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    1. Yes Eastern part of Samar particularly in Borongan there is an airport but not operational it needs more attention by the government it is wasting the time and money, it has potential for tourism in the region also

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  4. And now that an A350 or B787 can profitably serve the Bicol region/Eastern Visayas market without passengers going first to terribly-overpopulated Metro Manila, this is a good way ease congestion. Besides, passengers from Metro Manila and outlying areas can also fly to North America via a Bicol stopover for at least 12 hours or more or less and have a tour of the Mayon, Cagsawa and other tourist areas before going back to the Bicol airport to catch your ongoing flight to North America or even South Asia and Europe. Attention: Jaime Bautista and Alex Reyes: Don't let Mr. Fernandes of Air Asia upstage you here!

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    1. Bicol International Airport lies in the middle of the Philippine archipelago, therefore, the national and local governments should take first opportunity to market it worldwide especially the western world which can send multitudes of tourists to this Bicol region and outlying provinces/areas. Once tourists find its attractions, peace and order and other potentials, local facilities like hotels, resorts, restaurants, and the like, would be instantly established as financing companies would help them start from scratch. When there is money earned (from travel/tourism), rapid construction of facilities will always be ready and realized.

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  5. I go to Legazpi almost every year and will eventually retire there, and it definitely needs a new airport that can fly people in from Foreign countries and it will help build the economy of Bicol grow and prosper

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    1. How does an international airport welcome international flights? Does it goes some bidding and stuff like that? been wishing for this to happen soon from las vegas to legazpi. fingers crossed. just hate manila so much.

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  6. there should be at least two runways for this international airport and sufficient land area to foresee future expansion

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  7. I wish it had flights to China, Taiwan, Canada, US, Japan, Laos, Thailand, Singapore, and more. Hope it has it!

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