Aboitiz Group takes control of Bohol airport

MANILA, Philippines —  The Aboitiz Group yesterday secured the key to the Bohol-Panglao International Airport (BPIA), paving the way for the P4.53-billion upgrade of one of the busiest gateways in the Visayas.

The Department of Transportation ( turned over BPIA to Aboitiz InfraCapital Inc. (AIC) to wrap up the privatization of its operations and maintenance.

The BPIA is the latest and third gateway added to AIC’s airport network, placing it alongside the Mactan-Cebu International Airport (MCIA) and Laguindingan Airport.

AIC president and CEO Cosette Canilao said the turnover sets off the rehabilitation of BPIA, the ninth busiest airport in the Philippines. The company  plans to spend P4.53 billion over a span of 30 years to improve the gateway.

In particular, AIC will expand the passenger terminal building of the airport to boost its capacity. Further, it will invest in the construction of landside and airside facilities and installation of new equipment and solutions.

Based on AIC’s blueprint, BPIA will increase its passenger capacity by 25 percent to 2.5 million annually within the first two years.

Afterward, the infrastructure arm of the Aboitiz Group will keep on building up BPIA until it can serve 3.9 million passengers a year by 2030.

“This project is about more than infrastructure, as it is about enabling tourism, empowering local economies and creating more inclusive growth across the Visayas,” Canilao said.

For AIC, adding BPIA to its network bolsters its presence in the Visayas. Last year, AIC completed the P25-billion buyout of the operator of MCIA, the second busiest gateway in the Philippines.

AIC sees growth potential in Bohol, given that its economy is picking up at a pace quicker than the national rate, expanding by 6.6 percent in 2023 compared to the country’s 5.5 percent. Bohol saw its transport industry go up by 20.4 percent and its tourism sector improve by 27.9 percent.

Apart from MCIA and BPIA, AIC manages the operations and maintenance of the Laguindingan Airport, the main gateway to Northern Mindanao.

Right now, there are seven airports supervised by private entities: Caticlan, Mactan-Cebu, Clark, New Manila, Ninoy Aquino International Airport, Laguindingan and Bohol-Panglao.