MANILA, Philippines — Philippine Airlines and Cebu Pacific Air have suspended their flights to Caticlan indefinitely, diverting them to Kalibo following landing weight limitations imposed by the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) at the airport servicing the resort island of Boracay.

During a hearing with air operators on Wednesday, CAAP also designated Caticlan as a “one-way airport” for all carriers to avoid a repeat of landing accidents that occurred this year.

All takeoffs would be towards the sea while landings would be in the opposite direction on the airport’s single runway. A technical redefinition has also effectively shortened the length of the 810-meter runway.

In the two aircraft accidents, both involving Zest Air flights, one plane landed short of the runway on Jan. 11 while another overshot it on June 25.

In a statement, Cebu Pacific president and chief executive officer Lance Gokongwei said the airline would continue to work closely with CAAP to find “a speedy resolution to these airport issues, to allow Cebu Pacific to reinstate flights to Caticlan.”

Cebu Pacific affected

Gokongwei said Cebu Pacific’s 15 daily round-trip flights and more than 60,000 passengers booked for Caticlan would be affected.

“Boracay continues to be one of the country’s most important tourism destinations. Cebu Pacific’s low fare service has been integral to the growth and development of the island’s tourism industry and has increased its accessibility to both local and foreign tourists,” he said.

In a separate statement, PAL said the diversion to Kalibo, some 50 kilometers southeast of Caticlan, would affect PAL Express’s 11 daily flights from Manila and one from Cebu City.

Both PAL and Cebu Pacific said they would bus their Boracay-bound passengers from Kalibo to Caticlan for free. From Caticlan, it is a short motorboat hop to Boracay.

PAL passengers have been advised to contact its reservations hotline (8558888), any ticket office or authorized travel agent for changes in flight bookings.

Cebu Pacific said affected passengers may call (02) 7020888 and (032) 2308888 or visit its website at www.cebupacificair.com for information.

23,800 movements

The Caticlan airport, officially known as Godofredo P. Ramos Airport, oversaw more than 23,800 aircraft movements in 2008, handling more than 761,000 passengers and more than 5,200 metric tons of cargo.

The airport is the seventh busiest in the Philippines and the third busiest in western Visayas, according to CAAP.

Other airlines will continue to service Caticlan, notably Zest Air and Seair.

At least half a million tourists visit the white sand beaches of Boracay every year, according to industry estimates. Jerome Aning, with an AFP report