BACOLOD City – The proposed budget of P80 million for the development of the Bacolod-Silay Airport may be insufficient, according to Mayor Alfredo Abelardo Benitez.
Last week, the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) committed to allocating funds after Director General Captain Manuel Antonio Tamayo conducted an inspection of the airport.
Benitez pointed out that in addition to the increasing number of malfunctioning equipment and facilities, the airport has also experienced a rise in the volume of flights, leading to overcrowding in the passenger terminal.
The Bacolod-Silay Airport commenced commercial operations in 2008. It was designed to accommodate an annual passenger range of 800,000 to one million.
However, in 2019, prior to the onset of the coronavirus disease pandemic, the passenger count had soared to 1.7 million, with at least 16 daily flights.
Despite being marketed as an international airport, Bacolod-Silay Airport is classified as a Class 1 Principal domestic airport by CAAP.
Numerous proposals have emerged to develop, operate, and maintain the airport through a public-private partnership agreement. (Watchmen Daily Journal)/PN
