New airport to boost Bohol’s connectivity

CEBU, Philippines — Bohol, a tourist haven in Central Visayas, is seeking to boost its connectivity to Asian destinations as it sets to open its new P7.8-billion international airport.

In a phone interview, Bohol Governor Edgar Chatto expressed optimism the new Panglao International Airport will pave way for direct flights from Bohol to various Asian cities and even outside the region.

"The new Bohol Panglao International Airport can open to more flights to the Asian region and beyond," he told The FREEMAN.

Presently, Bohol is directly connected to South Korea "even with the existing one plane policy of CAAP (Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines) in the Tagbilaran Airport.

It was June last year when Philippine Airlines launched a direct route from Tagbilaran to Incheon in South Korea.

Simultaneously, the flag carrier also mounted a direct flight from Bohol to Cebu.

Aside from South Korea, Chatto said Bohol also gets visitors from China, Japan, US and Europe.

"More domestic flights for easier access to other destinations in the country will also be greatly enhanced. Our current domestic routes due to limited airport capacity only include Manila, Clark, Davao and Cagayan de Oro," the governor noted.

In May this year, the Taiwan Chamber of Commerce and Industry (TCCI) was seeking potential investments in Bohol.

The chamber expressed Taiwan’s increasing interest in Bohol as investment and tourism destination. Tourism and agriculture were areas of interest.

Taiwan was also eyeing direct flights from Taipei to Bohol once the new Panglao Airport is operational starting this month, as scheduled by the government.

The Japan International Cooperation Agency-funded Panglao Airport, whose construction in 2015 and is touted as the country’s first eco-airport, is expected to accommodate two million passengers in its opening year alone.

That is up from 800,000 passengers currently being accommodated by the Tagbilaran Airport.