July 30th, 2021
Salceda thanks Duterte, Tugade for Bicol International Airport’s nearing completion; Transport chief says airport to operate day flights on Oct 7 and night flights by Nov 4, international flights by May 2022
House Ways and Means Chair Joey Sarte Salceda thanked President Duterte and Transport Secretary Arthur Tugade for “coming closer than any administration” to completing the Bicol International Airport, which Salceda called “a longstanding dream of the people of Albay and Bicolandia in achieving its full tourism potential, reducing transport costs, ease travel of OFWs,” and “to making Albay the country’s Pacific gateway.”
Salceda said “the opening of the BIA will serve as the biggest economic stimulus in our region as it will accommodate 3,000 passengers per day instead of merely 600 under the domestic Legazpi Airport.”
Salceda added that the annual capacity of the BIA is 2 million passengers, “around 53% more than our foreign tourist arrivals in Albay. So, we can service the other provinces. The airport will certainly be an impetus to creating tourism alliances such as the Almasor, or the Albay-Masbate-Sorsogon grouping that I pioneered as chair of Bicol’s Regional Development Council.”
BIA operational by October, capable of night flights by November, and International flights by May ’22.
Salceda adds that Tugade has assured him that the airport will technically operational for day operations by 7 October 2021, and to be night-rated by 4 November 2021. It will also be listed in the International Civil Aviation Organization by November, and will this be capable of international flights six months after registration, by May 2022.
“Secretary Tugade was serious about finishing this airport this year. He even decided to land here,” Salceda said, referring to Tugade’s party landing on the airport today, following his intention to land on the airport whether it is finished or not, which he expressed following his inspection of the airport on May 13.
The airport was first seriously considered by President Arroyo at the urging of Salceda, and its pre-construction phases were fast-tracked during Salceda’s stint as Presidential Chief of Staff to Arroyo.
“When this is all done, it will be the completion of a longstanding dream. We are very thankful to President Duterte and Secretary Tugade. And of course to President Arroyo for getting this project started in the first place, and President Aquino for his efforts to work on the project,” Salceda added.
The airport, with an unimpeded view of Mayon and a vantage view of Metro Legazpi is dubbed as the “country’s most scenic gateway.”
Tugade and Salceda also conducted an inspection of the airport’s facilities shortly after Tugade’s landing.
The construction of the P4.798 billion BIA in Barangay Alobo, Daraga in Albay has been certified a priority by the Duterte administration under the “Build Build Build” program.
The international airport started pre-construction works in 2008. Once completed, the gateway is expected to boost air traffic in the region and accommodate a total of 2 million passengers annually.
Some 1,100 direct jobs will be created by the airport once operational and create 47,000 indirect jobs once the economy normalizes in trade, transport, tourism, and other sectors.
“The airport will actually be operational by October, and will be receiving international flights by May 2022, because we will be registering it in the International Civil Aviation Organization by November,” Salceda said.
“Immediately after the opening of this airport, the Bicol region will be among the fastest growing regional economies in the country. This will be a powerful stimulus. I have no doubt about it,” Salceda said.
“We are already a tourism giant. Our bid is to make Albay the convention capital of the country, and this will boost that effort,” Salceda added
Meanwhile, the two contractors of the airport project have committed to complete all civil works under their respective contracts by 30 August 2021.
As of 28 July 2021, the BIA’s construction accomplishment rate is at 89%. This constitutes Package 2A and Package 2B of the project.
Package 2A is already 96% accomplished and is expected to be fully completed by 30 August 2021, subject to further necessary works after inspection by the DOTr and by the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP).
Included under Package 2A are the construction of the airport’s air traffic control tower, administration building, crash fire rescue building, and cargo terminal building, among others.
Package 2B, meanwhile, is at 86% completion and is expected to be fully completed by end of August 2021, subject to further necessary works after inspections by the DOTr and CAAP.
Included under Package 2B are the construction of the BIA’s passenger terminal building (PTB) which is now 90.5% complete and is expected to be finished by 31 August 2021. Also included under Package 2B is the extension of the airport’s runway which is now 75% finished and is also expected to be completed by 31 August 2021.