Laguindingan Airport

Laguindingan Airport Tugpahanan sa Laguindingan (Cebuano) Paliparan ng Laguindingan (Tagalog)
Facade of the Laguindingan Airport
IATA: CGY – ICAO: RPMY
Summary
Airport type	Public
Operator	Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines
Serves	Cagayan de Oro, Iligan
Location	Barangay Moog, Laguindingan, Misamis Oriental
Opened	June 15, 2013
Elevation AMSL	58 m / 190 ft
Coordinates	08°36′45″N 124°27′26″E / 8.61250°N 124.45722°ECoordinates: 08°36′45″N 124°27′26″E / 8.61250°N 124.45722°E
Website	Official Website
Map
CGY/RPMY Location in the Philippines
Runways
Direction Length Surface m ft 09/27 2,100 6,890 Concrete

Laguindingan Airport (Filipino: Paliparan ng Laguindingan, Cebuano: Tugpahanan sa Laguindingan) (IATA: CGY, ICAO: RPMY) is the main airport that serves the cities of Cagayan de Oro and Iligan, as well as the provinces of Misamis Oriental and Lanao del Norte in Northern Mindanao, Philippines. The airport is classified as a Principal Domestic Airport Class 1 by the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines a body of the Department of Transportation and Communications responsible for implementing policies on civil aviation to assure safe, economic and efficient air travel, and the handling of operations on all airports except major international airports.^[1]

The airport sits on a 4.17 square kilometres (1.61 sq mi) site in Barangay Moog, Laguindingan,^[2] and is located 46 kilometres (29 mi) away from Cagayan de Oro and 57 kilometres (35 mi) from Iligan. The airport opened on June 15, 2013 and replaced Lumbia Airport in Barangay Lumbia, Cagayan de Oro.^[3][4] Lumbia Airport now serves as a military air base for the Philippine Air Force.

Overview

The airport project is located in the municipality of Laguindingan, province of Misamis Oriental, Northern Mindanao, Philippines. The airport project envisages the development of new major trunkline airport compliant to international standards as to safety and operation in order to meet the air transportation demand of the region.^[5] The airport project also aims to boost the economic activities specifically of the Cagayan-Iligan Corridor, and expected to serve as the gateway to Northern Mindanao.

The airport has a single 2,100 x 45 meter runway, which can accommodate four takeoffs and landings an hour.^[6][7] It also features a 7,184 square metres (77,330 sq ft) passenger terminal building that can accommodate 1.6 million passengers a year.^[8] The airport can accommodate 2,000 passengers a day.^[9]

History

Funding and implementation

Sources of funds for the Laguindingan Airport Development Project[10]
Source of funds	Funds (in millions of US$)
from the South Korea's Economic Development and Cooperation Fund	30.60 million
from the Export Credit Loan facility of the KEXIM	62.75 million
from the Philippine Government	60.36 million
for the Air Navigation and Support facilities from KEXIM[11]	13.38 million

The airport project was implemented by the Philippine Government through the Department of Transportation and Communications. After the completion of the project, the airport was turned-over to the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines.

The approved cost of the airport project is US$ 167.09 million or ₱ 7.853 billion.^[12] The cost was duly approved by the National Economic and Development Authority Board on August 30, 2007. Plans for the airport have existed since 1991, but have been stymied by land acquisition and financing problems. Although the Philippine Government has signed a US$ 25 million soft loan agreement with the South Korean government through its Economic Development Cooperation Fund, there has been difficulty in raising counterpart funding for acquisition of the estimated 300 hectares of land eventually required by the airport complex.

The Laguindingan Airport Development Project was inaugurated on January 10, 2006 with groundbreaking ceremonies presided by President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, who advocated the idea of an international airport along the Cagayan de Oro-Iligan Corridor.^[13][14]

Construction

By July 2007, the construction of the 4.4 kilometer four-lane access road had started to connect the new airport to the national road.

By early 2008, the start of grading of the airport site area. It was headed by the Department of Transportation and Communications and its foreign and local consultants, South Korea based Yooshin Engineering Corporation and Ortigas Center, Pasig based SCHEMA Konsult, Inc. respectively, and Hanjin Heavy Industries and Construction Company as the general contractor of the project.

Opening

President Benigno Aquino III expected that the opening of the airport would happen in April 2013,^[15] however, on April 18, 2013, DOTC announced that the opening of the airport would be pushed back to June 15, 2013 instead of April 30, 2013^[16] because CAAP had received requests from airlines to postpone the transfer until after the summer peak season, as the April 30 opening would require the cancellation of several daily trips.^[17] The airport expected to facilitate night landings by December 2014 upon the completion of the installment of Instrument Landing System and other equipment in the airport.^[18] The airport was inaugurated by President Benigno Aquino III on June 13, 2013, two days prior to its opening.^[19]

Recent developments

On March 12, 2015, the airport began to accommodate night flights. This became possible after the installation of navigational equipment for night operations was completed in 2014. With this recent development, the airport's operating hours was increased to 5 a.m.–9 p.m. from the previous daytime 6 a.m.–6 p.m. daily schedule.^[20]

Airlines and destinations

A flight information screen seen at the arrival area.

Airlines	Destinations
Cebgo	Cebu, Davao
Cebu Pacific[9]	Cebu, Iloilo, Manila
Philippine Airlines operated by PAL Express	Cebu, Manila

Future

Expansion

In August 2013, the Project Development and Monitoring Facility Board had approved for the revision of the operations and maintenance of the airport. The operations and maintenance of the airport was already approved for funding, but was revised to include the construction of a new airport terminal to the winning PPP bidder. The Department of Transportation and Communications was tasked to construct the airport terminal along with other airside civil works, air navigational facilities, landslide building works, as well as other facilities. The revision is part of maintaining the airport on par with ICAO standards.^[21]

According to Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines and Airport Manager Jose Bodiongan, the airport would become the “busiest regional transportation hub” with the installation of the runway lights, navigation equipment (required for nighttime flights) and the purchase of two new fire trucks.^[22]

An expansion of the passenger and cargo terminals, and parking lot are also currently being planned. With the large South Korean presence in Cagayan de Oro, the regional Department of Tourism is eyeing flights from Busan to Cagayan de Oro via Singapore or a direct route from Busan to Cagayan de Oro to further bolster the tourism industry in the region.^[23] The CAAP is set to initially approve Busan-Cagayan de Oro and Seoul-Cagayan de Oro flights by the fourth quarter of 2015.^[24]

Aerotropolis

Ayala Land, who owned 183 of the 417 hectares of land acquired by the government to develop the airport complex, has future plans to develop an aerotropolis around the airport.^[25][26] This is part of the pre-conditions granted by Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines for expropriating the lands the government bought from the corporation.^[2] Ayala Corporation, the parent company of Ayala Land, is also one of the bidders in privatizing, through the public-private partnership scheme, the operations and maintenance of the airport.^[8]

Gallery

Laguindingan Airport Complex
View of the Laguindingan Airport Complex from the airport access road.  Zest Airways Flight RP-C8997 parking at the tarmac.  The arrival area of Laguindingan Airport.  View from an aircraft turning at the end Runway 09.

See also

• List of airports in the Philippines
• Lumbia Airport (former airport)
• Northern Mindanao

References

1. "Philippine Principal Class I/II Airports". Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines.
2. Ma. Cecilia Rodriguez (July 22, 2007). "Waiting for the flight from Laguindingan". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Retrieved August 8, 2013.
3. "Laguindingan airport in Misamis opens". ABS-CBN News. June 15, 2013. Retrieved August 8, 2013.
4. "Laguindingan airport to open on June 15". BusinessMirror. June 3, 2013. Retrieved August 9, 2013.
5. "Laguindingan Airport Development Project "On Schedule"". Laguindingan Airport Development Project. November 21, 2009. Retrieved August 8, 2013.
6. Elaine O. Ratunil (February 27, 2013). "PNoy: P7.9-B airport will boost econ of M. Oriental". Philippine Information Agency. Retrieved August 9, 2013.
7. "After 22 years, Laguindingan Airport starts commercial operation June 15". MindaNews. Mindanao Times. June 13, 2013. Retrieved August 9, 2013.
8. "San Miguel keen on Laguindingan airport PPP". Rappler. June 13, 2013. Retrieved August 9, 2013.
9. Darwin G. Amojelar (June 3, 2013). "Laguindingan Airport to start operations on June 15". Interaksyon. Retrieved August 9, 2013.
10. "About the Laguindingan International Airport". Laguindingan International Airport. Retrieved August 8, 2013.
11. "Laguindingan airport fully operational by June 15". Malaya. June 4, 2013. Retrieved August 9, 2013.
12. Mike U. Crismundo (June 11, 2013). "Security tight in run-up to Laguindingan airport opening". Manila Bulletin. Retrieved August 9, 2013.
13. Louie Logarta (November 22, 2012). "Laguindingan Airport a tragedy waiting to happen". The Daily Tribune. Retrieved August 8, 2013.
14. Kris Bayos (June 10, 2013). "Laguindingan Airport opens June 15". Manila Bulletin. Retrieved August 8, 2013.
15. "Int’l Airport in CDO Opens in April – Aquino". Manila Bulletin. Yahoo! News Philippines. February 16, 2013. Retrieved August 8, 2013.
16. Gerry Gorit (June 11, 2013). "Laguindingan Airport to open June 15". GMA News. Retrieved August 8, 2013.
17. Edu Lopez (April 18, 2013). "DOTC resets transfer to new Cagayan de Oro Airport to June 15". Manila Bulletin. Civil Aeronautics Board. Retrieved August 8, 2013.
18. "Laguindingan Airport may see night flights by Dec". Port Calls Asia. 23 June 2014. Retrieved 2014-08-17.
19. Efren Montano (June 12, 2013). "PNoy inaugurates new Laguindingan airport". Journal Online. Retrieved August 9, 2013.
20. "First night flight arrives at Laguindingan airport in Northern Mindanao". GMA News. March 13, 2015. Retrieved March 13, 2015.
21. Cai U. Ordinario (August 7, 2013). "PDMF approves pre-feasibility funding for three PPP projects". BusinessMirror. Retrieved August 9, 2013.
22. "Laguindingan airport touted to become busiest regional transport hub". MindaNews. Retrieved 2015-08-03.
23. Mike Banos (March 13, 2014). "Still a long way to go for international flights in Laguindingan". Businessweek Mindanao. Retrieved March 13, 2014.
24. Pelone, Ruel Villanueva. "The web portal of BWM Group of Publications". www.businessweekmindanao.com. Retrieved 2015-08-01.
25. "Ayala Eyes Aerotropolis Concept for Laguindingan" (PDF). National Economic and Development Authority. September 16, 2011. Retrieved August 9, 2013.
26. "Ayala eyes Aerotropolis concept for Laguindingan". CDO Dev. September 19, 2011. Retrieved August 9, 2013.

External links

• Laguindingan International Airport – Official Website
• Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines – Official Website