Lingayen airport improvement to continue this year

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By Hilda Austria (PNA)

LINGAYEN, Pangasinan -- The Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) proposal to improve the Lingayen airport here will be implemented this year following the delays due to weather disturbances last year.

Lingayen airport officer-in-charge Elvis dela Cruz said asphalt overlay of runway costs more than PHP37.8 million.

“The bidding was done and we are just waiting for the notice to proceed in order to start the project,” he said in an interview Monday.

Among the other airport improvement projects to be implemented this year are the concreting of apron with drainage canal and the construction of runway canal worth PHP10 million; improvement of perimeter fence worth PHP8 million; and provision of additional septic tank worth PHP75,000.

Dela Cruz said the construction of the fire station building worth PHP3.5 million and construction of staff house costing PHP1.5 million, which were part of their proposals last year, were already completed.

He added the concreting of the 66 meters by 48 meters apron worth more than PHP8.6 million by the Department of Transportation (DOTr) was already done, and was lined up for final inspection.

Meanwhile, dela Cruz admitted that the proposals involving the extension of the airport’s runaway in order to achieve standard size for commercial flights are still to be approved.

Based from the CAAP’s Lingayen Airport Development Plan, the extension of runway will cost PHP34.92 million, while the lot acquisition to enable the extension of the runway will cost PHP155.2 million.

The airport’s runway measuring 1,040 meters is currently catering to general aviation. Only small aircraft, usually flight training planes for students from aviation schools, are using the airport here.

CAAP is proposing to extend the runway to 1,520 meters to accommodate commercial flights.

In the recent visit to the province this year of DOTr Secretary Arthur Tugade, Pangasinan Governor Amado Espino III expressed to him the province’s desire to have commercial flights to and from the province to further boost tourism and ease travel.