THE UPGRADED Calbayog Airport in Samar, inaugurated on Wednesday, is seen to complement the Tacloban City Airport that serves as the main gateway to the Eastern Visayas Region.
The expansion of the Calbayog Airport includes a bigger terminal building with a capacity for 450 passengers from only 76 and a runway that can accommodate bigger aircraft.
Transportation Secretary Arthur P. Tugade said the airport’s improvement is expected to boost the economy of the coastal city of Calbayog as well as the rest of Samar, which was one of the worst hit areas when super typhoon Haiyan, known locally as Yolanda, struck in 2013.
Meanwhile, Mr. Tugade also led the inauguration ceremony on Wednesday of the new taxiway at the Mactan Cebu International Airport (MCIA) in Central Visayas.
“The extended taxiway is expected to increase passenger traffic and aircraft movement in the General Aviation area of the MCIA. This will likewise accommodate wide-body aircraft in preparation for future expansions,” the Transportation department said in a statement.
The MCIA is the second busiest airport in the country after the Ninoy Aquino International Airport in the capital — MSJ