DOTr, CAAP launch new Puerto Princesa International Airport

The Department of Transportation (DOTr) and the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) on Wednesday inaugurated the new P4.5 billion Puerto Princesa International Airport in Palawan, as part of the "Build Build Build" infrastructure development program of the Duterte administration.

The new airport in Barangay San Miguel. Puerto Princesa City, includes a 13,000- square meter airport terminal with a seating capacity of 1,500; a parking slot for over 200 cars; a 2,600-meter runway which can accommodate an Airbus A330, a bigger aircraft with a seating capacity for 400 persons; and six parking bays.

Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade and CAAP Director General Capt. Jim Sydiongco led the opening of the airport. Korean Ambassador to the Philippines Kim Jae-Shin, Palawan Governor Jose Alvarez, Puerto Princesa City Mayor Luis Marcaida III and other guests and aviation stakeholders were also at airport inauguration.

The new airport has state of the art air navigation system, and can accommodate more than 1.9 million passengers a year.

It can also accommodate 20 flights a day, PAL Express, Cebu Pacific, Philippine AirAsia, Philippine Airlines and Air Juan using the airport.

In a separate statement, Cebu Pacific said it will start using the new airport on Thursday, May 4.

The new Puerto Princesa airport is expected to "boost trade and tourism even more in the Palawan region," the airline said.

"With the new airport able to handle international flights, it now makes Puerto Princesa attractive to direct connections to and from key foreign tourist markets," Cebu Pacific Vice President for Corporate Affairs JR Mantaring said. — Marlly Rome Bondoc/VDS, GMA News