Baguio Airport Requires ILS To Open 365 Days In A Year

15 February 2019

Needs ₱500 million To Be Operational

Baguio's Loakan airport is the first destination Philippine Airlines flew on March 15, 1941, yet seventy eight years later was the farthest to being served by the airline that makes hub less than 100 kilometers away. From its opening in 1934 some eighty five years ago, the problem was the same then as it is now.

The problem was its location atop a mountain that limits its runway to a mere 1,600 meters. While long enough to being not a problem to turboprop and commuter planes, its altitude at 1,296 meters above mean sea level limits the potential of the airport to serve bigger aircraft like the Airbus A320's or the Boeing 737's for the sole reason that they need a longer runway at high altitude. Its operation at the airport is just not possible.

And while turboprop and commuter planes on the likes of Philippine Airlines Q400's and Cebu Pacific's ATR72-600 can land in Loakan, these airlines will then need to contend the terrain as visibility goes to zero in less than a minute while the aircraft is on final approach on some days.

The most important for airline operations though is making a fixed schedule for arrival and departure which is not feasible in this airport at this time. It is actually the main reason why airline such as Asian Spirit, the last operator to serve commercially at this airport left due to weather considerations resulting to numerous flight cancellations which when added up does not bid well for business. At this altitude, cloud ceiling is always the problem.

Still, If that safety issue does not trouble you, the runway is also nestled at the top of the plateau with a steep cliff at both ends that simple miscalculations to approach or engine trouble on take off roll can mean the runway or the cliff. Technologies can however solve some of the airport's problem.

The Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) disclosed that as much as ₱500 million is needed to upgrade the navigational and lighting facilities of Loakan airport to meet international standards.

The airport already suffers from separation problems with the runway and its taxiway to its apron that even the passenger terminal building  will need to be dismantled and move all the way to Loakan road. A new road also needs to be open But the Department of Transport (DOTr) has not made progress to its development after the Baguio City government failed to relocate the informal and formal settlers that were required to move to safer grounds to make airport operations safer. A re-design of its perimeter was also made after typhoon induced flood water damaged building structures adjacent to the runway due to drainage design flaw, which would cost another ₱200 million to construct. A budget proposal for this project is scheduled to be included in the 2020 General Appropriations Act for implementation next year.

Meanwhile, the airport remains open to general aviation and military traffic, as well as some chartered flights.