Friday, November 07, 2008 [ manilatimes.net ]
San Fernando, La Union: The Poro Point Freeport Zone is enticing airlines to put up domestic and international operations in the San Fernando Airport here, following a major facelift the airport recently underwent, officials said.
According to Josefa Catherine Bada, Poro Point Management Corp. (PPMC) vice president for airport operations, the first phase of the San Fernando Airport upgrading project, which started in May last year and would be completed in December this year, could accommodate bigger aircrafts such as the 150-seater Boeing 737 and Airbus 320 planes.
The P565-million expansion will see the airport runway widen to 2,120 meters by 45 meters from 1,320 meters by 36 meters. The fund will also be used to construct and rehabilitate buildings, among other facility improvements.
As of end-October, the first phase of the San Fernando Airport upgrade was around 84-percent complete, according to Cristina Rodrigo, PPMC acting vice president for corporate planning and business development.
The San Fernando airport, which was partially reopened in August this year and is currently servicing chartered flights and flying schools, is also in a strategic position to service commercial flights, Bada said.
Before the airport was temporarily shut down in December last year, Asian Spirit operated three flights a week between Manila and San Fernando. Asian Spirit is now restructured into the new carrier Zest-Air.
Bada said PPMC is marketing San Fernando Airport as an entry point of local and foreign tourists visiting the northern part of the Philippines and also of overseas Filipino workers. She disclosed that PPMC is particularly targeting to seal flights between Hong Kong and San Fernando.
PPMC also has a P1.2-billion second phase expansion project in the pipeline, but Bada said that further development would push through once the San Fernando Airport becomes a viable gateway.
“Phase 2 of upgrading San Fernando Airport would be determined by market forces . . . the project starts as soon as there is a market, a demand for our services here,” Bada said.
According to Rodrigo, the airport is earning money despite the absence of commercial operations, but she did not disclose details.
Also, Thunderbird Pilipinas Hotels and Resorts Inc., one of the current locators in Poro Point Freeport Zone, is also looking forward to commercial operations of San Fernando Airport.
According to Yzl Cruz, Thunderbird Resorts marketing services and public relations manager, their hotel operations would benefit from commercial operations of San Fernando Airport, as they see expansion of their facilities by 80 percent once tourists pour in through the airport.--Ben Arnold O. de Vera
