The new Bicol International Airport (BIA) in Daraga, Albay, is around 90 percent completed. At this rate, the new airport in the Bicol region is set to become fully operational before the year ends.
The airport is being dubbed as the country’s “most scenic gateway” because of the amazing views that passengers would see as they depart from or arrive at the airport. Passengers will have an unimpeded view of no less than the iconic Mayon Volcano with every take off and landing, which should be a welcome site for all.
The BIA—which sits on a 200-hectare plateau, 15 kilometers from the world’s most perfect volcano—is projected to accommodate some 3,000 passengers a day (twice as many as what the Legazpi City Domestic Airport can handle), which is about two million passengers (1.4 million domestic travelers and about 700,000 foreign visitors) a year.
With the airport, tourists can now fly from Manila to Bicol in just about an hour (faster than 5 to 6 hours it takes to cover the same route by land).
Like with any new airport in the provinces, its opening is expected to boost tourism in the area. Among the most popular tourist destinations in the region are the Mayon Volcano, the CamSur Watersports Complex, and the Cagsawa Ruins.
The P4.5-billion airport project, which began construction in 2008, is also expected to boost socio-economic activities in the area, as well as generate employment opportunities for the locals.
The BIA, seen as a testament to economic growth in the region, is the first and only international airport in Bicolandia. The airport also has the capacity of becoming the hub for either Cebu Pacific or Philippine Airlines—or both, officials said.
When the BIA becomes operational, the Legazpi City Domestic Airport (LCDA), the current main airport in Albay and the region’s busiest, will be closed. That should’t be too much of a problem for individuals used to flying through the LCDA as Daraga is right next to Legazpi.
The BIA is also projected to help Bicol form tourism alliances such as the Almasor (Albay-Masbate-Sorsogon) route. Seeing as the Bicolandia is no stranger to weather disturbances, the new airport is also designed to be more typhoon resilient.
