Cotabato Airport operations back to normal in August

COTABATO CITY, Philippines – The Mindanao Development Authority (Minda) assured the public Tuesday that the operations of the Cotabato Airport in Datu Odin Sinsuat in Maguindanao will normalize in August, earlier than the original target of December.

Luwalhati Antonino, Minda chair, said in a press statement last Tuesday that the runway and taxiway expansion project at the airport, one of the country’s oldest, would be completed by August.

Flights to and from the Cotabato Airport had been reduced to four days as Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays were reserved for project construction work. Prior to this, the airport had four daily flights to and from Manila, Antonino said.

“We are looking into every possible way to ease the inconvenience resulting from the airport expansion work, even as we recognize the impact of this to the business sector,” said Janet Lopoz, Minda executive director.

Lopoz said that while the project was being fast-tracked, the government was ensuring that “quality is not compromised.”

Lino Dhabi, assistant secretary for project monitoring and evaluation of the Department of Transportation and Communications, reported that the rehabilitation of the Cotabato Airport “accords safe and enhanced facility for flights by providing adequate dimension of runway and taxiway, in compliance with the standards of the International Civil Aviation Organization.”

The P55-million airport improvement project, which started in January this year, has drawn criticism from passengers because of the lack of prior notice. Many businessmen said they had to make re-bookings and take flights out of other airports such as Davao or General Santos City.

Minda said it talked with agencies involved in the project and it was decided that daily commercial flights would resume even while the repair and rehabilitation work continues.

Laisa Alamia, ARMM executive secretary, said that under the agreement, the airport will operate daily from 12 noon until 4 p.m.

“It was a good thing that Minda acted immediately on our request to convene all the concerned agencies in this project, even elevating our discussion to the DOTC central office,” Ishak Mastura, investments chief of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, said.

Mastura said the early completion of the project would significantly improve the business climate in Central Mindanao as the airport would help provide the needed business logistics, particularly flight connectivity.