Caticlan Airport ready to handle bigger aircraft

MANILA, Philippines - Bigger aircraft like the Airbus A320 can now be accommodated at the Caticlan Airport in Caticlan after the expansion of its runway and terminal, the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) said.

CAAP said the expansion of Caticlan Airport’s runway 06/24 and construction of the Nabas Apron is expected to increase the capacity of the airport to accommodate more passengers per flights.

Caticlan Airport’s newly constructed Nabas Apron has nine additional parking bays for aircraft. The airport’s runway has a total length of 1,800 meters.

Previously, Caticlan Airport could handle only turbo propeller aircraft.

PALExpress on Friday had the inaugural touchdown of its Airbus 320 aircraft at the Caticlan Airport. The carrier will initially operate two flights daily from Manila to Caticlan using the bigger aircraft.

Cebu Pacific is also planning to operate the same variant on Nov. 23, while AirAsia is expected to follow soon.

Caticlan Airport, also known as Godofredo P. Ramos Airport, was developed by TransAire Development Holdings Corp., an affiliate of San Miguel Corp. The company will manage the airport for 25 years under a build-operate-transfer scheme.

Meanwhile, the Department of Tourism (DOT) said some foreign airlines were already looking forward for the launching of international flights at the Caticlan Airport.

Erwin Balane, head of DOT’s Route Development Team, said Korean carriers Jeju Air, Jin Air and Busan Air, and Singapore players Tiger Air and Silk Air, had already expressed interest in flying red-eye or night flights to Caticlan.

He said plans to enable night landings at the airport were also underway.

But Balane clarified these carriers would not transfer their operations from Kalibo International Airport to Caticlan, but rather augment their capacity to bring more tourists to the island of Caticlan.