Arroyo: Bacolod area needs to be marketed to international carriers

By Dominique Gabriel G. Bañaga

The Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) revealed P108 million has been set aside for the development of facilities at Bacolod-Silay Airport.

CAAP director-general, Captain Jim Sydiongco, said aside from the P108 million, an additional P114 million budget has also been set aside for 2020.

He explained, all the plans for the airport’s expansion cannot be done together but the project is ongoing.

The CAAP official pointed out, vacant sides along the airport’s terminal building will soon be expanded to accommodate for more passengers.

When opened to commercial operations in 2008, Bacolod-Silay Airport was designed to accommodate between 800,000 to one million passengers a year. However, the number of passengers passing through the terminal has since increased to 1.7 million and growing, with the facility now operating at least 16 flights a day.

When asked if the facility is considered an “international airport,” both Sydiongco and House Speaker Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo stated it is already an international airport.

“Technically it is, we built it to be an international airport,” Arroyo said.

The former president added, the area needs to be marketed to international airlines.

Negros Occidental Governor Alfredo Marañon, Jr., meanwhile, said it is possible passenger traffic will grow to around two million by next year.

Last year, Bacolod City administrator, Atty. John Orola, appealed to Philippine Airlines (PAL) to open regular service to Hong Kong, Singapore, and South Korea from the Bacolod-Silay Airport. However, PAL Vice President for Corporate Communications Josen Perez de Tagle pointed out several issues with the airport, such as the lack of fueling facilities, which would enable them to operate international flights more efficiently./DGB, WDJ