ILOILO – The modified general community quarantine (MGCQ) ends on June 15 unless extended.
Thus, according to Gov. Arthur Defensor Jr., the tentative date of resumption of commercial flights at the Iloilo Airport in Cabatuan is June 16.
The resumption rests on the provincial government’s decision. The Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases gave local government units (LGU) the discretion to decide when to reopen airports in their turfs.
“As of now, we don’t expect any tourists,” said Defensor, pointing out the prevailing threat of the corona virus disease (COVID-19) pandemic.
Thus, should commercial flights resume, Defensor said, they should prioritize returning Ilonggo overseas workers and locally stranded individuals.
In a recent interview, Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) Iloilo terminal supervisor Art Parreño said he was unsure when would commercial flights resume at the Iloilo Airport.
Commercial flights to and from Iloilo were suspended in March this year when the community quarantine was enforced to curb the spread of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).
CAAP extended to June 15 the NOTAM (Notice to Airmen) reiterating the closure of the airport in line with Defensor Jr.’s Executive Order No. 128 restricting travel – including air travel – in the province until that day – the last day of the MGCQ.
The NOTAM would have ended on June 10.
Before the COVID-19 pandemic, the Iloilo Airport served around 25 arrival and departure flights daily, said Parreño.
Classified as an international airport, the Iloilo Airport is the first airport in both Western Visayas and the island of Panay to be built to international standards. It is also considered to be the primary gateway into the region./PN
