Kalibo international flight arrivals grows 300%

Domestic flight arrivals balloons 200%

February 5, 2010
Kalibo - Caticlan gateway, Kalibo International Airport is the country's fastest growing airport with 5,203 domestic flights and 360 international flights in 2009, data from the Civil Aviation Authority (CAAP) showed.

In 2008, the airport registered 2,171 domestic flights and 132 regional flights respectively, barely two years after it was opened for international traffic.

"Kalibo airport accommodated at least one international flight daily last year, either going to Korea, Taiwan, or China and we are expecting more to come this year" says Aklan Governor Carlito S. Marquez.

Speaking in his State of the Province Address (SOPA), Gov Marquez said that in 2009, Kalibo inbound passengers for domestic flights numbered 360,265 while inbound passengers for regional international flights reached 20,608 compared to 2008's 183,110 inbound domestic passengers and 12,411 inbound regional passengers.

"Outbound domestic passengers registered 377,177 and outbound regional passengers were 20,809 in 2009, a much higher number compared to only 191,685 outbound domestic passengers and 12,839 outbound regional passengers of 2008," Marquez said.

Kalibo International Airports presently handles once a week regular charter flight of Philippine Airlines and the twice a week regular flights of China Airlines to Taipei, Taiwan. Zestair also has regular flights to Incheon, South Korea four times a week. Other non-scheduled charter operators are Korean Air, Pacific Pearl Airways, TransAsia Airways and Shanghai Airlines.

Meanwhile, PAL announced that aside from the regular Taipie flights, the airline will also arrange special charter flight from Chengdu, capital of southwest China's Sichuan Province, to Kalibo on Feb 14 with return service on Feb 18.

"The new International passenger terminal is almost 100% complete. But there are still some finishing touches that needs to be done like installation of offices and security equipments and the like" says Marquez. DOTC hopes to inspect and accepts the project this month as it intend to open the terminal before March this year with President Arroyo gracing its inaugural.

On the other hand, Aklan's other airport, Caticlan registered 17,988 flights and 550,084 passengers in 2009, 256,458 of which are incoming ones; 96,585 foreign; 145,505 domestic, and 14,388 OFW passengers.

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