Cebu Governor Hilario Davide III said the plan to build airports in Bantayan and Camotes islands would push through.
Davide told the media last Friday that he already talked with Mactan Cebu International Airport Authority (MCIAA) General Manager Nigel Paul Villarete on the construction of new airports in the two islands.
He said the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) had already sent teams on Thursday to inspect possible locations for the new airports.
Davide said he and Villarete would be waiting for the final written report to be submitted to them by the CAAP to complete the plan of constructing new airports.
Villarete said CAAP teams not only to looked at Camotes and Bantayan islands but also Northern Cebu for possible airport sites.
“You know the potentials of these two islands. Of course, we are also looking at the Northern part of Cebu for a possible relocation of our general aviation facilities,” Villarete said.
On the location of where general aviation facilities would be located in Northern Cebu, Villarete said no specific place has been selected but that it has to be good for aviation.
Long-term plan
Villarete said the construction of the new airport is their long-term plan for, as early as now, they have foreseen an increase of flights in the MCIA.
“Air traffic forecasts for the next decade show that we will encounter increase of flights in Mactan… and that’s the reason why we have to resolve the issue of general aviation and one way of looking at that is transferring it to Bantayan, Camotes or Northern Cebu,” Villarete said.
The original plan to build airports in Northern Cebu was made during the term of then Cebu governor now 3rd district representative Gwen Garcia.