Francisco B. Reyes Airport (IATA: USU, ICAO: RPVV), more commonly known as Busuanga Airport, is an airport serving the general area of Coron, located in Busuanga Island in the province of Palawan, Philippines.[2] It is also shared with the neighboring municipality of Busuanga, located on the western half of the island. Since November 10, 2008, the airport has been named after Francisco B. Reyes, the mayor of Coron from 1936 to 1939 who donated the land that forms the current airport complex.[3]
Francisco B. Reyes Airport Paliparan ng Francisco B. Reyes | |||||||||||
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| Summary | |||||||||||
| Airport type | Public | ||||||||||
| Owner/Operator | Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines | ||||||||||
| Serves | Busuanga | ||||||||||
| Location | Coron | ||||||||||
| Elevation AMSL | 45 m / 148 ft | ||||||||||
| Coordinates | 12°07′17″N 120°06′00″E / 12.12139°N 120.10000°E | ||||||||||
| Map | |||||||||||
.svg)  USU/RPVV .svg) USU/RPVV | |||||||||||
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| Runways | |||||||||||
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| Statistics (2021) | |||||||||||
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Source: CAAP[1] | |||||||||||
The airport is classified as a Class 2 principal (minor domestic) airport by the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines, a body of the Department of Transportation that is responsible for the operations all airports in the Philippines except the major international airports.[2]
The airport is surrounded by a protected ranch used to raise cows. The grass growing on the property is imported from Australia.[citation needed]
History and expansion
editFrancisco B. Reyes Airport is the target of two expansion projects. The first expansion, funded in part by a US$3 million loan from the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) in cooperation with the Department of Transportation and Communications, broke ground in March 2007.[4] The expansion, which included the construction of a new terminal building, the completion of the airport's then-unfinished concrete runway and the upgrading of other facilities, was inaugurated by President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo on November 17, 2008.[5]
The airport terminal was severely damaged by Typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan) in November 2013. Rehabilitation work was commenced by the municipality of Coron immediately after the typhoon to enable the airport to continue receiving passengers,[6] and was completed by October 2014.[7] Traffic to and from Coron was negatively affected by the airport's closure, with tourist arrivals falling by up to 75%.[8]
A ₱4.1 billion second expansion is also planned for the airport, funded entirely by the national government, with the aim of making it capable of supporting both large jet aircraft and nighttime operations.[9][6]
Airlines and destinations
edit| Airlines | Destinations |
|---|---|
| AirSWIFT | El Nido, Manila |
| Cebgo | Cebu, Manila |
| PAL Express | Cebu, Clark,[10] Manila[11] |
| Sunlight Air | Cebu, Clark, Manila[12] |
Accidents and incidents
edit- On July 14, 2024, a Philippine Airlines De Havilland Dash 8-400 NG operating as PR2670 originating from Mactan Airport overshot the runway during landing, disrupting four flights. None of the 57 people on board sustained injuries.[13]
See also
editNotes
editReferences
edit- ^ "Aircraft, Passenger, and Cargo Movements". Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines. Retrieved 28 November 2022.
- ^ a b "Handy Busuanga airport information from Skyscanner". www.skyscanner.com.ph. Retrieved 2021-02-06.
- ^ Republic of the Philippines. (Enacted: November 10, 2008). Proclamation No. 1665, s. 2008 - RENAMING BUSUANGA AIRPORT TO FRANCISCO B. REYES AIRPORT LOCATED AT THE MUNICIPALITY OF CORON, PROVINCE OF PALAWAN. Retrieved August 25, 2015.
- ^ Quismundo, Tarra (March 18, 2007). "Airport upgrade seen making Coron the next tourism gateway". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Philippine Daily Inquirer, Inc. Retrieved August 25, 2015.[permanent dead link]
- ^ "Arroyo to inaugurate upgraded Busuanga airport Monday". GMA News. GMA Network. November 16, 2008. Retrieved August 25, 2015.
- ^ a b Formoso, Celeste Anna R. (January 31, 2014). "TIEZA appropriates funds for expansion of Busuanga Airport in northern Palawan". Philippines News Agency. Archived from the original on March 5, 2016. Retrieved August 25, 2015.
- ^ Bayos, Kris (November 9, 2014). "Gov't eyes new airport for Leyte". Manila Bulletin. Manila Bulletin Publishing Corporation. Archived from the original on August 25, 2015. Retrieved August 25, 2015.
- ^ Cayon, Manuel (June 11, 2015). "More passengers use Busuanga airport". BusinessMirror. Philippine Business Daily Mirror Publishing, Inc. Archived from the original on June 20, 2015. Retrieved August 25, 2015.
- ^ "PH gov't gives go-ahead to P62B worth of infrastructure projects". PortCalls Asia. June 4, 2014. Retrieved August 25, 2015.
- ^ Rosales, Elijah Felice (February 24, 2023). "PAL resumes Clark trips to Boracay, Coron". The Philippine Star. Retrieved February 25, 2023.
- ^ Liu, Jim. "Philippine Airlines Clark / Manila domestic network changes from March 2020". Routesonline. Retrieved 2 March 2020.
- ^ "Sunlight Air NW24 Domestic Network Additions". Aeroroutes. Retrieved 14 October 2024.
- ^ "PAL plane overshoots Busuanga runway". Rappler. July 14, 2024. Retrieved July 14, 2024.