Tacloban airport to resume operations on Sunday, Dec. 17

This photo, taken on Saturday, Dec. 16, 2017, shows the entrance of the Daniel Z. Romualdez Airport in Tacloban City. (Photo courtesy of the Tacloban Aviation Police).

Daniel Z. Romualdez Airport in Tacloban City will resume full operations on Sunday, Dec. 17, as Tropical Storm “Urduja” continued to weaken on Saturday, according to the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP).

Airport operations were halted on Friday, Dec. 15, due to persistent heavy rains brought by Urduja.

Domestic flights bound for Tacloban at the time were turned back to Manila due to strong tail winds.

In a statement forwarded by the Department of Transportation (DOTr) on Saturday evening, CAAP Director General Jim Sydiongco said that repairs at the airport’s ceiling were nearly finished.

Despite heavy downpour that caused floods in the city’s streets, Sydiongco said that the access road to the airport was already passable and all was set for the resuming of operations.

Sydiongco added that maintenance personnel had also installed portable flood lights at the parking area of the Tacloban airport terminal.

Tacloban was declared under a state of calamity by city councilors after the tropical storm started ravaging through Eastern Visayas on Friday. /atm