Loakan Airport is 90 percent ready for operation – CAAP
The Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) announced that the 1.68-kilometer long Loakan airport is around 90 percent ready for the projected resumption of air travel by December 16, 2022.
CAAP airport manager Engr. Rosito Tamayo, Jr. disclosed that most of the recommendations of the technical personnel of the Philippine Air Lines who visited the city to assess the status of the Loakan airport had already been addressed; that is why it is already ready for the resumption of flights.
However, he stated that the CAAP is working on the installation and re-calibration of the precision accuracy path lights along the runway to ensure the safety of the aircrafts that are landing and taking off in the airport.
The CAAP official claimed that the issue raised on the thick airport vegetation had already been addressed aside from the pruning that will be done by the local government on the trees that had been identified as potential obstruction to those aircrafts that will be flying over, landing and taking off from the airport.
He said that CAAP is also working out the organization of an airport emergency group composed of government and private emergency responders to be able to effectively and efficiently respond to emergency situations that may happen in the airport.
Earlier, PAL management revealed that the Baguio-Cebu-Baguio flights will be resuming on December 16, 2022 where the frequency of the flights will be four times a week, Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays.
Further, the Cebu-Baguio flight will be leaving the Mactan Cebu International Airport at around 8:50 am and will be arriving at the Loakan airport at around 10:50 am on the said days.
The Baguio-Cebu flight will be leaving the Loakan airport at around 11:10 am and will be arriving at the Mactan Cebu International Airport at around 1 pm.
Tamayo assured city and barangay officials and concerned stakeholders that with the present situation of the Loakan airport, the regular flights could, although long-term solutions on the obstructions caused by structures will have to be agreed upon by CAAP and the local government.
He also called on barangay officials to remind their constituents not to allow stray animals to loiter around the vicinity of the airport to avoid the occurrence of untoward incidents that may compromise the safety of the aircrafts that are arriving and leaving the airport.
PAL will be using Q-400 aircrafts with a capacity of more or less 85 passengers to serve the Cebu-Baguio-Cebu flights scheduled four times a week.
Tamayo informed local officials that the problems of obstructions caused by structures is a common problem among airports that were constructed prior to 2008 or the effectivity of the law that created the CAAP that is why airports that were built after 2008 are the ones that are compliant to the limitations imposed on structures constructed within their vicinity.
Tamayo briefed city officials led by Mayor Benjamin Magalong on the current status of the Loakan airport and the various activities that will be undertaken in preparation for the resumption of flights next month. – Dexter A. See