AirPhil to fly to Jolo, Bongao

ZAMBOANGA CITY -- Airport runway upgrades completed in Bongao, Tawi-Tawi, and Jolo, Sulu through a US-Philippines partnership has led to the establishment of new commercial flights between those provincial capitals and this city.

Airphil Express will fly a 77-seater Bombardier Q400 along the Zamboanga-Jolo route three times weekly beginning September 11, and along the Zamboanga-Bongao route four times weekly from September 10, with connecting flights to Manila and Davao, according to Maria Java, the airline's vice president for marketing and media.

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Chambers of commerce, together with the two Provincial Governments, worked with the airline and the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (Caap), to expedite the establishment of the new flights, which they expect will lead to an increase in trade and other business activity in the Sulu Archipelago.

"Even before the runway was inaugurated, we were pushing to get new air routes set up," said Robert Tan, president of the Tawi-Tawi Chamber of Commerce and Industry. "We met with Airphil Express officials in Manila to persuade them and to offer the chamber's support."

The airport runway upgrades, which were built under a partnership between the Philippine and US governments, were implemented by the Department of Transportation and Communications, the Provincial Governments of Tawi-Tawi and Sulu, and USAid's Growth with Equity in Mindanao (GEM) Program, under the oversight of the Mindanao Development Authority.

The Tawi-Tawi runway was extended by the GEM Program from 1,608 to 1,920 meters, and widened from 18 to 30 meters. The Jolo airport runway was likewise extended by GEM, from 1,200 to 1,845 meters, and widened from 18 to 30 meters. Both are now all-concrete runways.

The improvements, which allow both airports to accommodate larger-bodied aircraft such as Boeing 737s and Airbus 320s, drew the interest of commercial airlines.

"It felt like landing on runways in the US, built to the highest standards," said Captain Patrick Roa, Airphil Express' chief pilot for safety and security, who flew the evaluation flights in July. "The surface is grooved to ensure safety even during heavy rainfall."

"The old runways could accommodate only 19-seater planes and were often closed for patch-up repairs," said Luis Go, president of the Sulu Chamber of Commerce and Industry. "We then had no choice but to travel to Zamboanga by sea, which can be uncomfortable and takes a day."

"Flying to Zamboanga from Jolo takes twenty minutes, compared with traveling ten hours by inter-island ferry," said Java, who added that traveling by ferry from Zamboanga to the more distant Bongao took 17 hours. "We could see the market potential from the number of people going by boat."

She added flight cargo from the two island-provinces would likely include high-value fruits and marine products such as live fish, among other commodities. (GEM)