LOCAL airlines on Tuesday are moving flights to the new Bohol (Panglao) International Airport following the closure of the Tagbilaran Airport, which used to be the main gateway to the Bohol island.
Following the inauguration of the new airport on Tuesday, the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) said in a notice to air men it is shutting down the Tagbilaran Airport and moving all official flight operations to Panglao starting Wednesday (Nov. 28) at 6 a.m.
AirAsia Philippines landed its first flight using the Airbus A320 at the new airport yesterday, when it sent CAAP officials to the inaugural event.
Philippine Airlines (PAL) and Cebu Pacific said in separate statements yesterday they will start operations at the Panglao Airport today.
PAL said it will give passengers a three-week transition period to adjust to the Panglao Airport — which is 40 minutes away from the old one — and will keep its ticketing office at the Tagbilaran Airport open until Dec. 15.
Cebu Pacific said it flies three times daily to and from Manila and Tagbilaran. Its subsidiary Cebgo flies once a day from Tagbilaran to and from Cagayan de Oro and Davao.
By Dec. 15, Cebu Pacific said it will start daily flights between Clark and Tagbilaran.
The new Panglao Airport was designed to handle 2 million passengers every year. It stands on a 220-hectare land, 10 times the lot size of the Tagbilaran Airport which occupies a 22-hectare area. — Denise A. Valdez
