Francisco B. Reyes Airport
| Francisco B. Reyes Airport Paliparang Francisco B. Reyes (Filipino) Hulugpaan sang Francisco B. Reyes (Hiligaynon) | |||||||||||
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| Summary | |||||||||||
| Airport type | Public | ||||||||||
| Operator | Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines | ||||||||||
| Serves | Coron and Busuanga, Palawan | ||||||||||
| Location | Decalachao, Coron, Palawan | ||||||||||
| Elevation AMSL | 45 m / 148 ft | ||||||||||
| Coordinates | 12°07′17″N 120°06′00″E / 12.12139°N 120.10000°ECoordinates: 12°07′17″N 120°06′00″E / 12.12139°N 120.10000°E | ||||||||||
| Website |
franciscoreyesairport | ||||||||||
| Map | |||||||||||
.svg.png)  USU/RPVV Location in the Philippines | |||||||||||
| Runways | |||||||||||
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| Statistics (2008) | |||||||||||
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Statistics from the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines.[1] | |||||||||||
Francisco B. Reyes Airport (Filipino: Paliparang Francisco B. Reyes; Hiligaynon: Hulugpaan sang Francisco B. Reyes), formerly Busuanga Airport (IATA: USU, ICAO: RPVV), is an airport serving the general area of Coron, located on Busuanga Island in the province of Palawan, the Philippines. It is also shared with the neighboring municipality of Busuanga, located on the western half of the island. Since November 10, 2008, the airport has been named after Francisco B. Reyes, the mayor of Coron from 1936 to 1939 who donated the land that forms the current airport complex.[2]
The airport is classified as a Class 2 principal (minor domestic) airport by the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines, a body of the Department of Transportation and Communications that is responsible for the operations all airports in the Philippines except the major international airports.
The airport is surrounded by a protected ranch used to raise cows. The grass growing on the property is imported from Australia.
History and expansion
Francisco B. Reyes Airport is the target of two expansion projects. The first expansion, funded in part by a $3 million loan from the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) in cooperation with the Department of Transportation and Communications, broke ground in March 2007.[3] The expansion, which included the construction of a new terminal building, the completion of the airport's then-unfinished concrete runway and the upgrading of other facilities, was inaugurated by President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo on November 17, 2008.[4]
The airport terminal was severely damaged by Typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan) in November 2013. Rehabilitation work was commenced by the municipality of Coron immediately after the typhoon to enable the airport to continue receiving passengers,[5] and was completed by October 2014.[6] Traffic to and from Coron was negatively affected by the airport's closure, with tourist arrivals falling by up to 75%.[7]
A ₱4.1 billion second expansion is also planned for the airport, funded entirely by the national government, with the aim of making it capable of supporting both jet and nighttime operations.[8][5]
Airlines and destinations
| Airlines | Destinations |
|---|---|
| Air Juan | Caticlan, Puerto Princesa, Manila |
| Cebu Pacific operated by Cebgo | Cebu, Clark, Manila |
| Philippine Airlines operated by PAL Express | Cebu, Clark, Manila |
| SkyJet | Manila |
See also
References
- ↑ "Philippine Aircraft, Passenger and Cargo Statistics 2001-2008". 3 March 2009. Archived from the original on 11 September 2011. Retrieved 21 April 2009.
- ↑ Republic of the Philippines. (Enacted: November 10, 2008). Proclamation No. 1665, s. 2008 - RENAMING BUSUANGA AIRPORT TO FRANCISCO B. REYES AIRPORT LOCATED AT THE MUNICIPALITY OF CORON, PROVINCE OF PALAWAN. Retrieved August 25, 2015.
- ↑ Quismundo, Tarra (March 18, 2007). "Airport upgrade seen making Coron the next tourism gateway". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Philippine Daily Inquirer, Inc. Retrieved August 25, 2015.
- ↑ "Arroyo to inaugurate upgraded Busuanga airport Monday". GMA News and Public Affairs. November 16, 2008. Retrieved August 25, 2015.
- 1 2 Formoso, Celeste Anna R. (January 31, 2014). "TIEZA appropriates funds for expansion of Busuanga Airport in northern Palawan". Philippines News Agency. Retrieved August 25, 2015.
- ↑ Bayos, Kris (November 9, 2014). "Gov’t eyes new airport for Leyte". Manila Bulletin. Manila Bulletin Publishing Corporation. Archived from the original on August 25, 2015. Retrieved August 25, 2015.
- ↑ Cayon, Manuel (June 11, 2015). "More passengers use Busuanga airport". BusinessMirror. Philippine Business Daily Mirror Publishing, Inc. Archived from the original on June 20, 2015. Retrieved August 25, 2015.
- ↑ "PH gov't gives go-ahead to P62B worth of infrastructure projects". PortCalls Asia. ProQuest Publishing, Inc. June 4, 2014. Retrieved August 25, 2015.
