Baguio airport eyed to resume commercial ops by year-end

Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, October 5) — The country's aviation authorities said Wednesday that the Loakan Airport of Baguio City will resume accepting commercial flights by the end of 2022.

In a statement, the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) said it met with city officials, together with the city tourism office and flag carrier Philippine Airlines (PAL), to discuss the planned reopening of the air hub.

"CAAP and the Baguio City LGU are targeting to resume the airport's commercial operations by the end of the year," the agency said.

Without mentioning the project cost, CAAP said it is earmarking funds for rehabilitating the airport's passenger terminal building, including extending the runway by 100 meters.

In 2019, Baguio City Mayor Benjamin Magalong asked then Transportation chief Arthur Tugade to allot ₱160 million to revive the airport. During that time, PAL unit PAL Express had also expressed interest in operating five aircraft for the Baguio gateway.

According to the Baguio City government's website, the Loakan Airport has been closed for commercial operations "because of the reported difficulty in the landing of the aircraft during bad weather condition."

However, the facility remains open for chartered and military flights.