Japanese group wins Bohol airport deal

THE DEPARTMENT of Transportation and Communications has awarded the construction contract for the new Bohol airport, which is scheduled to be completed in 2017.

The DOTC said in a statement Monday that the P3.36-billion airport- the first new airport project of the Aquino administration—went to the Japanese joint venture of Chiyoda Corp. and Mitsubishi Corp.

“Another world-class airport will soon rise on the island of Panglao, to cater to the steadily-increasing number of tourists in Bohol. It will be developed as an ‘eco-airport’ or one that features environmentally sustainable technologies, in line with the province’s eco-tourism branding,” Transportation secretary Joseph Abaya said in a statement.

Construction is set to begin before the end of summer. The airport is designed to accommodate one million passengers annually.

“In a country filled with tourist hotspots on islands separated by seas, it is vital to develop and modernize our airports not only to better service our passengers, but to also enable economic growth for our people,” he added.

The DOTC also announced updates on two other airport projects.

For the Kalibo International Airport, it announced that a new wing was opened ahead of the busy summer season, allowing the facility to accommodate another 800 passengers.

The department also announced the start of regular night flight operations at Laguindingan airport, the gateway airport to northern Mindanao.

After being fully equipped for night landing last October, the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) gave airlines the option to schedule their night flights at the airport. Evening flights formally opened on March 12, when Cebu Pacific Air operated round-trips from Cagayan de Oro to Cebu and Davao. It will now offer regular night trips to and from Manila.