Four More Philippine Airports to be Cleared for Evening Flights by December 2018

Once an airport is equipped with the proper facilities, aircraft will be cleared for takeoff and landing after sunset or past 6:00 pm. As of writing, only 20 out of the country’s 42 airports are equipped to handle evening flights. The Department of Transportation (DOTr) is hoping to night-rate all airports before the end of President Duterte’s term in 2022. The Department of Budget and Management has already approved a 76.1 billion budget for the night-rating of airports, however, the DOTr is currently in talks with the senate to restore their proposed 160 billion budget for next year. An estimate of P400 million per airport is needed to upgrade it for evening operations. The money will go to the widening and extension of runways and the construction, overhaul, and procurement of navigational facilities. The Legazpi, Roxas, Dumaguete, and Caticlan airports were just cleared for evening flights last 2017, while the Tuguegarao airport was night-rated earlier this year.

In addition to giving passengers more flight time options, the rehabilitation and improvement of airports around the country will also help alleviate the congestion problem in the Ninoy Aquino International Airport terminals. Since only about half of the country’s airports are night-rated, flights to and from several provincial destinations are all crammed in the daytime. On top of upgrading airports, the DOTr is also pushing for the improvement and building of more ports around the Philippines. This will allow a smoother and more efficient transfer of goods around the archipelago.

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