CAAP restores communications lines in Bicol Airports

6 November 2020

By Emmie V. Abadilla

Communication lines at airports operated by the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) in the Bicol region, which were most hit by Typhoon Rolly over the weekend, have been restored as of today (Nov 5).

The region’s airports are now slowly recovering from the typhoon’s aftermath with clearing operations commencing immediately after the typhoon passed.

According to its situational report, most damages at Catanduanes Province’s Virac Airport are in its passenger terminal building’s (PTB) ceiling and second floor. Parts of the PTB’s roofing were also damaged.

Virac Airport’s electric power and mobile and internet signal has also been restored on Tuesday. The airport is now operating from 6:00 AM to 6:00 PM and catering to military flights and humanitarian flights from both the public and private sectors.

Meanwhile, Catanduanes province has requested for a 2-week suspension of Cebu Pacific flights to Virac as the province recuperates from Rolly.

Other airports in the region, such as Legazpi Airport, Naga Airport, and Bicol International Airport, which is currently under construction, sustained minimal damage in its PTB and other facilities caused by the strong winds of Typhoon Rolly, with Naga Airport’s approximate cost of damage coming up at P5.5 million.

Security in all Area 5 Airports (Bulan, Daet, Legazpi, Masbate, Naga, Sorsogon, Virac) remain on heightened alert.

Aside from these airports, Sangley Airport and Marinduque airports in Region 4 also sustained minimal damages.

As of today, all CAAP-operated airports are now back to normal operations.

CAAP airports that were critically damaged, especially in Area 5, are also undergoing assessment and processing of reports for GSIS insurance claims.