Restoration of Legaspi airport terminal building completed

THE renovation of the P40-million Legaspi International Airport Passenger Terminal Building in Legazpi, Albay has been completed, the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) said Thursday.

The airport accommodates landing of medium-sized commercial jets and military aircraft on its single runway of 2280 x 36 meters length.

Currently it handles eight regular flights from Manila and Cebu from Philippine Airlines, Cebu Pacific and CebGo (Tiger Air) and chartered international flights mostly from Shanghai and mainland China.

Although operating as sunrise-sunset (SR-SS) due to the ongoing improvement and installation of its instrument landing system (ILS), the airport can handle night landings and take-off but only on prior notice, CAAP said.

The newly renovated Passenger Terminal Building (PTB) offers improved features and conveniences to airline passengers with its eco-friendly and clean and green airport atmosphere, utilizing available sunlight that passes through its wide glass walls that illuminate the interior reducing the use of electrical energy, it said.

The new terminal building underscores the continuous management effort to accommodate more tourists with bigger spaces and seats that could now accommodates more than 500 passengers at any time.

The eco-friendly design has its ceiling glass fronted walls and a view of the runway and the majestic Mayon Volcano as background.

A separate International Arrival and Pre-departure Areas were added on the refurbished PTB with adequate spaces that now houses government agencies from Bureau of Immigration, Customs and Human/Plant Quarantine and Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency.

CAAP said its generated revenue provided funds that allowed Legaspi Airport to make improvements on its passenger terminal.

Asked why CAAP Legaspi made spending such as this when in fact the construction of a new international airport to replace the existing Legaspi airport dubbed as South Luzon or Bicol International Airport is underway and expected to be completed in the next five years, Cynthia Tumanut, the area and airport manager of the Area Center V and Legaspi Airport answered that this project was framed and implemented primarily and purposely for the convenience of the flying public.

“The management could not just sit and watch with blank face at the difficulties and discomforts being experienced by passengers due to cramped space and insufficient vents system of the old passenger terminal,” Tumanut said.

Area Center V composes of Legaspi, Albay, Masbate, Naga, Sorsogon, Virac, Bulan and Daet airports. (SDR/Sunnex)