Sta. Fe airport inaugurated

CEBU, Philippines — The Sta. Fe Bantayan Island Airport was formally inaugurated yesterday with Cebu Governor Gwendolyn Garcia expressing much optimism that this will boost more tourism and commercial activities in Cebu’s premier beach destinations.

 “We’ll be shooting up like jet-propelled airplanes to tell not just the country but the rest of the world, ‘Watch out, Bantayan is here,’” the governor said in her speech referring to the three municipalities in the island--Sta. Fe, Bantayan and Madridejos.

Mactan-Cebu International Airport general manager Julius Neri. Jr. said that the inauguration will surely spur economic development on the island with a target of one million tourists per year.

By April 2023, AirJuan will be back travelling Mactan to Bantayan Island three times a week as three Fokker planes with a capacity of 80 passengers per plane can be accommodated at the said community airport.

Neri added, however, that they are not seeing Airbus to be accommodated in the next five years.

 Air travel time is only about 25 minutes from MCIAA General Aviation to the said airport as compared to five to six hours travel by land.

“The future looks bright. Yes, we’ve come a long way. But it’s a long way to go,” said the governor as she recognized former Presidential Assistant for the Visayas Michael Dino, who was instrumental in securing funding for the airport’s expansion through the Department of Transportation during the term of former President Rodrigo Duterte.

 Neri said that the airport is part of the entire system for the island to propel more development like resorts, hotels and the like.

 It was acknowledged that though the travel time in going to the island is cut short, the lack of facilities is still a challenge.

Dino himself is among those first investors in the island with his ongoing multi-billion 11-storey condo-hotel resort.

 Dino said he hopes this facility will be operational by 2025.

 Bantayan airport’s runway, which has a width of about 30 meters and length of 1.2 kilometers, will be able to accommodate commercial flights to and from the famous island destinations beginning April this year.

Garcia said that the length of the runway is expandable to 1.4 kilometers.

To recall, the airport was launched in 2019, but its runway had to be expanded in order for it to accommodate commercial planes.

Neri added that Bantayan Island is one the best tourist destinations in Cebu.

 During the inauguration, a chartered flight, Fokker 50 from MCIAA General Aviation Mactan-Cebu, landed at the newly-inaugurated airport with Neri, Dino, Department of Transportation Usec. Roberto Lim, Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines Director Manuel Tamayo, Cebuano industrial designer Kenneth Cobonpue, and members of the media, among other guests. – JMD (FREEMAN)