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The direct flight between Mactan Cebu International Airport to Bantayan Island will resume this coming April 2023 according to the announcement released to the media by the officials from the Cebu Provinciall Government and the MCIA.
The announcement was released to the media after the official inauguration of the newly improved Bantayan Island Airport runway on Wednesday March 8, 2023.
During the said milestones of the airport, notable guests were attending the inauguration which includes Department of Transportation Usec. Roberto Lim, Director General Antonio Tamayo, MCIAA’s general manager Julius Neri Jr.
The general manager of MCIAA, Julius Neri, stated during the Bantayan Airport inauguration that with the upgraded runway, the airport in Bantayan island is now ready to welcome back aircrafts.
Bantayan Island Airport flights will resume after years of the pandemic according to the MCIAA official, however, he clarified that as of this moment the airport can only accommodate turbo-prop aircrafts such as Fokker 50 and the ATRs.
Neri also explained that the airport is not yet a commercial airport as it still need more infrastructure and components to qualify it as a commercial airport, but commercial aircrafts, except jets, can already use the airport.
Bantayan Island Airport which will served as the gateway to the white sandy beaches of the island started the upgrading of the runway last 2020 during the administration of Pres. Rody Duterte under the tutelage of former DOTr Secretary Arthur Tugade.
The upgrading of the runway was completed in late 2022 with the national government spending approximately P153 million in extending its length from 900 meters to 1,200 meters or 1.2 kilometers.
The Cebu Provincial government who owns the 25-hectare lot in Bantayan Island together with the DOTr officials expressed optimism that the improved runway and the return of direct flights will help spur economic and tourism activities on the island, despite the fact that more work needs to be done to turn the airport into a commercial one.
The island where the airport was constructed is composed of three towns namely the resort town of Santa Fe, the commercial center Bantayan and the fishing ground Madridejos. It is located approximately 140 kilometers northwest of Cebu.
Source: PNA
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