VIGAN, Ilocos Sur, April 8 — The Vigan Airport rises to meet a more robust passenger demand through the groundbreaking for the runway extension project today, 08 April 2019.
The Department of Transportation (DOTr), Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP), Department of National Defense (DND), and Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), together with the provincial government of Ilocos Sur, led the groundbreaking ceremony of the airport development project.
Once completed, the PhP69-million runway extension project will enable Vigan Airport to cater to bigger aircrafts, which means more flights and more passengers for the airport.
“When we build and improve our nation’s airports, we are also building platforms for mobility and connectivity that usher in economic and social development. Through this project, Vigan will be more accessible to Filipinos who wish to witness its historical charm. And we know that with more people coming in to Vigan, more jobs come to life for our kababayans,” said DOTr Secretary Arthur P. Tugade, who was represented in the groundbreaking ceremony by Undersecretary for Aviation and Airports Manuel Antonio Tamayo.
The Vigan Airport Development Project is among four airport projects that proceed from the Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) signed by the DOTr and the DND in November 2018. The AFP Task Force for Infrastructure Development, headed by M/Gen. Felipe Bejar, will implement the airport projects through funds downloaded from the DOTr.
The infrastructure development project of Vigan Airport was launched to address the growing demand for improvement in the airport serving the general area of the Ilocos Region. Aside from the runway extension, projects such as the runway site acquisition, expansion of Passenger Terminal Building (PTB), construction of an Administration Building, and improvement of Vehicle Parking Area (VPA) are also in the works.
Vigan Airport, classified as a community airport by the CAAP, currently caters to general aviation aircraft. In just a span of two years, passenger volume has tripled in Vigan. From a record of 14,645 passengers in 2016, the airport was able to register 47,856 passengers for 2018, a compelling indication that Vigan is swiftly gaining an influx of passengers.
The City of Vigan, which also serves as the province’s capital, is located on the western coast of the island of Luzon, facing the South China Sea. Well-known for being a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the city boasts of cobblestone streets and unique architecture that fuses Philippine building design with colonial European architecture.
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