Conglomerate San Miguel Corp. said it expects to complete a bigger airport in Caticlan, Malay, Aklan next year to accommodate the growing number of tourists in the resort island of Boracay.
SMC said the extension of the runway of Godofredo P. Ramos Airport, also known as the Boracay airport, from 950 meters to 1,800 meters was expected to be completed in 2016, which would enable the airport to accommodate larger aircraft such as Airbus 320.
The diversified conglomerate also said the completion and construction of a new and bigger passenger terminal was needed to accommodate a projected increase in tourist arrivals.
“Improvements will also allow for night landing, which will further help boost tourism,” SMC said.
Caticlan airport, the seventh busiest in the country, is one of the two gateways to Boracay, the other being Kalibo airport.
Data showed that visitor arrivals in Boracay Island reached 1.47 million in 2014, including 682,832 foreign tourists and 745,266 domestic visitors.
SMC, through a 99.77-percent interest of San Miguel Holdings Corp., in Trans Aire Development Holdings Corp., is undertaking the expansion of Boracay airport under a 25-year build-rehabilitate-operate-transfer concession granted by the Transportation Department.
TADHC holds the exclusive rights, obligations and privileges to finance, design, construct, operate and maintain the airport by virtue of a concession agreement with the Transportation Department and the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines.
Aside from Boracay airport, the infrastructure arm of San Miguel also owns the Tarlac-Pangasinan-La Union Expressway. It expects to complete the last section from Urdaneta to Rosario by end-2015.
The 14-km stretch from Carmen to Urdaneta was opened to the public in December 2014 while the first section from Tarlac to Gerona was opened in October 2013. The 49-km stretch from Gerona to Carmen became fully operational in April 2014.
San Miguel is also building Skyway Stage 3, the Ninoy Aquino International Expressway and the proposed Metro Rail Transit Line 7.