Zamboanga City Gets an Improved Airport
Zamboanga City is getting a better airport after improvement works expanded the passenger terminal building (PTB) from 500 to 750 passengers. Department of Transportation (DOTr), led by Secretary Art Tugade led the inauguration of the regional hub on Tuesday, saying it will create more opportunities for Zamboanga and neighboring provinces.
The improvement project covers the 9.20 meters x 36.00 meters expansion of the PTB at its right side and the rehabilitation of several areas at the existing terminal building. Zamboanga Airport’s PTB now has an additional 691.2 square meters space, for a total of 3,456 square meters.
“There is a big difference between the old airport in 2018 and the airport today,” Tugade said during the inauguration speech. “We are here today to give life to the fact that the Zamboanga Airport is for commerce, for tourism, and for security.”
Improvement work on the airport was triggered by a visit by Secretary Tugade in March 2018. Back then he commented on the “sorry state” of the hub and instructed officials of the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines to take the necessary steps to ensure the airport’s efficient operations.
Other development projects at the airport include its Malasakit Hall and GAD Multipurpose Hall, which both made significant improvements three years after Tugade’s visit.
“We will implement the Phase 2 of the airport development project, wherein we will expand and improve the runway, taxiway, and apron to ensure safety and comfort for airplanes that land and take off,” Tugade said.
The Secretary said his group is giving prime focus to the development of the Zamboanga Airport as it “plays an important role for the region’s economic progress.”
