RDC urges the opening of Iloilo airport to international flights
Members of the Regional Development Council (RDC), the highest policy making body in Western Visayas, urged the opening of the Iloilo airport to international flights.
Of international standard, the Iloilo domestic airport only catered to local flights.
Cynthia Lumampao of the Knowledge Management Division (KMN) of the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) said the RDC discussed the matter during the body’s regular quarterly meeting recently.
Kalibo and Caticlan airports are presently opened to international flights.
The RDC through a resolution also requested the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) to allow the Iloilo airport to retain at least 10 percent of its terminal fee collections.
The amount will be used for the maintenance, sanitation and beautification of the passenger terminal building and surrounding grounds.
The request was also in response to complaints that the airport had a poorly maintained restrooms at the passenger terminal and inadequate janitorial services.
Regional Project Monitoring Committee (RPMC) in an updated study showed that if Iloilo would be an international airport, it could generate an average daily income of P280,000 from its terminal fee collections.
These are automatically remitted to CAA central office.
Through this practice, the New Iloilo Airport is subsidizing the operational and maintenance needs of other less busy airports in the country.
The airport served 16 outgoing flights daily with an average volume of 90 passengers per flight. (PNA)