DOTr: New airports planned for Cebu

MANILA, Philippines — To decongest air traffic at the Mactan-Cebu International Airport, the Department of Transportation (DOTr) is initiating a feasibility study for alternate gateways in the island province.

In a request for expression of interest, the DOTr said it is looking for consulting services to do the feasibility study for airport development projects in Cebu.

The agency plans to spend as much as P70.52 million to determine the viability of building a new airport in Medellin town and upgrading the existing ones in Bantayan and Camotes Islands.

According to the DOTr, the proposed Medellin airport would serve the sugar and eco-tourism industries in northern Cebu as well as decongest aircraft volume at Mactan airport.

The consultant must also look into the feasibility of expanding the runway of the Bantayan Airport, a gateway to the island’s beaches that are gaining international prominence.

The DOTr noted that the Camotes Airport, also an island tourist destination, lacks airside and landside facilities such as a passenger terminal building to host commercial flights.