Acting airport manager Ervin Escatron of the Air Transportation Office (ATO) told The STAR that with the increasing air traffic in both passengers and cargo, the presence of stray animals in the tarmac and runway is a serious problem.
Airline companies plying the Cagayan de Oro City route earlier complained about high maintenance cost due to the damage on their planes’ engines and wings caused by stray animals.
Acting immediately on the complaints, the city council passed a strongly worded ordinance warning residents living near the airport of stiffer penalties should their animals be found astray in the airport.
The ordinance also bans homeowners within the airport’s restricted zone from raising domesticated animals that might pose grave danger to aircraft.
The airport’s OIC manager, Ervin Escatron, claimed that his security personnel have had verbal tussles with residents about their stray animals during routine patrols.
"Because of these growing problems, we sought help from Surigao City officials as we do not want more misunderstanding with the residents. We only implement what is right to shoo away stray animals because they are really dangerous to aircraft," he said.
According to an ATO report, the inbound passenger traffic in 2005 reached 14,575, and the outbound traffic, mainly to Manila, 15,557.
The Cebu-Surigao City passenger traffic reached 2,458, and the Surigao City-Cebu passenger volume, 2,706.
Also in 2005, the volume of cargo from this city to Manila reached 164,099 kilograms; Manila to this city, 67,558 kilograms; this city to Cebu City, 7,735 kilograms; and Cebu to this city, 5,235 kilograms.
"Generally, compared to previous years, the air traffic volume (here) increased by 400 percent," Escatron said.
He attributed this to the growing number of local and foreign tourists who visit Siargao Island, particularly the town of General Luna where the surfing haven dubbed "Cloud Nine" is found.
Escatron, meanwhile, attributed the upswing in the air cargo traffic volume to the increase in domestic produce, particularly seafood like lobsters, shrimps, lapu-lapu, and milkfish that come from as far as Surigao del Sur, that are flown to Manila and Cebu and even overseas.
With the expected opening of the $1.2-billion nickel venture on Nonoc Island, Escatron cited the need to modernize the airport.