Lower Bohol air fares seen as Panglao Int'l Airport opens
MANILA, Philippines — Air fares for flights to and from Bohol could soon go down with the opening of the new Bohol-Panglao International Airport, which is seen to help the province become a regional hub.
The Bohol-Panglao International Airport has a 2,500-meter runway that can accommodate seven aircraft at one given time and a passenger terminal that can handle around two million people annually. It is ten times bigger than the old Tagbilaran airport.
With sustained growth expected, the airport could require expansion as early as 2025. The new gateway was inaugurated last November.
In a statement, Bohol Tourism Office Head Josephine Cabarrus said the “limiting runway” at the old Tagbilaran airport is a factor of non-competitive airfares to and from Bohol, hampering the province’s potential as a tourist destination.
“For the longest time, we have been at the mercy of very expensive airfares. For instance, a one-way trip between Manila and Bohol at peak season can be around P8,000 to P10,000,” Cabarrus said.
“[It’s] almost the same fare [rate] to Hong Kong. We’re hoping that with the operation of the new airport, the fares could be lower due to supply and demand,” she added.
Panglao is the most popular tourist destination in Bohol and had 704,000 tourists in 2017.
According to airport consultant ICF, tourism in Bohol has grown at an annual rate of 25.2 percent from 2011 to 2017, and by 30 percent from 2016 to 2017 to reach an estimate of 1.3 million tourists.
“Learning from how the Tagbilaran airport was managed, we know there are things to be improved. If you say that you have an international facility, then you should have an international-level service,” Cabarrus said. — Ian Nicolas Cigaral
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