BAGUIO CITY January 14 – The city government will demolish more or less one hundred structures within the declared buffer zone of the Loakan airport as part of the preparatory works for the opening of the airport to commercial operations.
Mayor Benjamin B. Magalong said the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAA) submitted to the city government the identified buffer zone where the structures that obstruct the incoming and outgoing flights are erected, thus, the need to demolish these to ensure the safe operation of the airport.
He claimed the appropriate notices will be issued to the owners of the structures for them to voluntarily remove the structures or allow the city government to demolish the same.
Earlier, the city government negotiated with the Department of Transportation (DOTR) for the turnover of the management and operation of the Loakan Airport to the city so it can look for a third party operator to help boost the city tourism industry especially with the expected influx of high-end visitors as summer arrives.
Further, the city government also had been making representations with the San Miguel Corporation to operate the Loakan airport once the CAAP and the DOTR will give the go-signal for its commercial operation.
Loakan airport’s operation has been closed for commercial operation over a decade ago because of issues on the safety of flights taking off and landing there. .
However, the airport still services chartered and military flights.
Aside from the removal of the structures within the declared buffer zone, one major improvement is the installation of the necessary Instrument Landing System (ILS) that will guide aircrafts in maneuvering in and out of the airport even in bad weather.
Another issue being discussed by the airlines wanting to service the Manila-Baguio-Manila route is the assurance that it will be sustainable.
Loakan airport was supposed to have been closed to serve as an expansion area of the State-run Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA) but the previous administration and city tourism industry stakeholders expressed their vehement opposition to the said plan that compelled the government to shelve the same and allow the existence of the airport to date.
The Loakan Airport has a runway measuring around 1.6 kilometers long that can only accommodate small planes that need to taxi for a short distance only before taking off.**By Dexter A. See
