Passengers flock the terminal of the Bantayan Island Airport on Wednesday, March 8, 2023. CDN Digital photo | Morexette Marie B. Erram
BANTAYAN ISLAND, Cebu—Direct flights between Mactan and Bantayan Island will resume next month, airport officials announced.
The Bantayan Island Airport will be reopening as it inaugurated its improved runway on Wednesday, March 8, 2023.
To mark the airport’s milestone, airport officials from the Mactan Cebu International Airport Authority (MCIAA) and the Provincial Government flew on board Fokker 50 and Cessna aircrafts from the Mactan airport to Bantayan’s airport.
Notable guests who attended the inauguration included Department of Transportation Usec. Roberto Lim, Director General Antonio Tamayo, MCIAA’s general manager Julius Neri Jr.
With the runway upgraded, the airport in Bantayan island is ready to welcome back aircrafts, said Julius Neri Jr., general manager of MCIAA.
“Direct flights will resume to Bantayan after years of the pandemic,” Neri said.
However, he clarified that as of this moment, the Bantayan Island Airport can only accommodate turbo-prop aircrafts such as the Fokker 50 and the ATRs.
“The airport is not yet a commercial airport as we still need more infrastructure and components to qualify it as a commercial airport… [But] commercial aircrafts, except jets, can [use the airport],” Neri explained.
Upgrading the runway on Bantayan Island began last 2020, and completed in late 2022.
The government spent approximately P153 million in extending its length from 900 meters to 1,200 meters or 1.2 kilometers.
While admitting that more work needs to be done to turn Bantayan Island Airport into a commercial one, officials expressed optimism that the improved runway and the return of direct flights will help spur economic and tourism activities on the island.
Bantayan Island Airport is located on a 25-hectare, province-owned property that cradles the boundaries of Santa Fe and Bantayan towns.
Bantayan Island, composed of three towns namely Santa Fe, Bantayan and Madridejos, is located approximately 140 kilometers northwest of Cebu.
Bantayan Island is one of Cebu’s most popular tourist destinations, and known for its pristine beaches and island-hopping activities.
/bmjo
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