Boracay airport has completed the extension of its runway, which will allow it to start welcoming international flights to the resort island.
In an interview with Flightglobal at Routes Asia in Manila, marketing executive Alden Cruz says the airport is awaiting the certification of the runway from the government, and is also pushing to extend its operations beyond daylight hours.
The extended 1,800m runway means the airport will now be able to handle narrowbody aircraft, where previously only turboprops could operate. There are also plans to further extend the runway to 2,100m in the longer term.
All flights to the airport, which operates between 6am and 6pm, are domestic services from Manila and Cebu.
The airport is also building a new passenger terminal, scheduled to open in 2017, which will have a capacity to handle between five and seven million passengers a year. Last year, 700,000 passengers passed through its gates, exceeding its current capacity of 600,000.
Cruz says the airport has seen a 16% average annual growth in passenger numbers, and it is keen to welcome direct flights from China, Hong Kong and South Korea, where it is seeing strong tourist demand.
Source: Cirium Dashboard
