THE Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) continues to make strides to upgrade the country’s air transportation sector under the guidance of Department of Transportation (DOTr) Secretary Jaime J. Bautista.

Major development projects have been and are currently being implemented in Mindanao airports, such as Butuan Airport and Davao Airport.

For Butuan Airport, the Expansion of the Passenger Terminal Building (PTB) under the Butuan Airport Development Project started on December 6, 2021, and was completed last December 16, 2022, with a total project cost of P17,652,405.13.

With the booming economy in Butuan, the PTB now has an additional 324 square meters on its ground floor and 108 square meters on its mezzanine floor.

This major upgrade is seen to provide travelers with convenience and comfort on the way to one of the country’s highly urbanized cities.

To better accommodate the passengers at Davao International Airport (DIA), part of its improvement also includes the installation of brand new escalators at its own PTB’s Domestic Arrival and Check-in Lobby areas.

Meanwhile, after the torrential rains and recent flooding have subsided in Zamboanga City, the Zamboanga International Airport (ZIA), in coordination with the Zamboanga City Local Government Unit (LGU) and the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), conducted clearing operations for accumulated garbage at the creek which flows under ZIA’s runway.

Spearheaded and supervised by CAAP-ZIA Officer-in-Charge Jimmy Santos, the LGU and DPWH deployed a long-arm backhoe after the airport’s operations.

A tabletop planning activity was conducted on the same day to familiarize the working personnel within the vicinity to be cleared of waste.

The CAAP stated that “through the leadership of Director General Captain Manuel Antonio L. Tamayo, persists in delivering a safe, accessible, comfortable and affordable air transportation sector through taking steps in the creation of reforms and continual improvement of the country’s aviation facilities.”

AUTHOR PROFILE

Jun I. Legaspi