More domestic flights are expected this year, with the permanent extended hours of operation at the Dumaguete-Sibulan airport.

 

Mark Michael Diamaoden, OIC airport manager and head of the local office of the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines, said Wednesday that Cebu Pacific is looking at increasing their flights to Dumaguete.

Diamaoden said he learned of this recently in a talk with some Cebu Pacific officials.

Currently, two commercial airlines are plying the Dumaguete route, namely, Cebu Pacific and Philippine Airlines Express.

The CAAP had approved last month the extension of the hours of operation of the Dumaguete airport, from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. to 7 p.m., thus allowing night flights when necessary.

It can also now accommodate additional flights with the extended hours of operations, Diamaoden said.

Meanwhile, records at the local CAAP showed that from January 1 to December 31, 2016, a total of 4,152 domestic flights, 4,331 general aviation flights, and 104 military flights were recorded at the Dumaguete-Sibulan airport.

Diamaoden said domestic flights included the commercial airlines flying to and from Manila and also to and from Cebu, while general aviation flights included other aircrafts, like chartered flights, flying school planes and even private helicopters.

Military flights included helicopters and other aircrafts that had visited the airport in the past year, whether on training or in transit.

CAAP flight statistics showed 545,171 domestic passengers, 623 general aviation passengers, and two military passengers in 2016.

Diamaoden has reiterated the need to immediately undertake the proposed lighting project of the airport’s vehicle parking space to provide security and safety to airport users, especially at night or at daybreak.*PNA