PUERTO PRINCESA CITY, Philippines (PIA) — The City Council of Puerto Princesa recently passed a resolution urging national government support for the fast-tracking of the expansion of the Puerto Princesa Airport Terminal to make it into an international-standard airport.

The approved resolution filed by Vice Mayor Lucilo Bayron was issued to address the overcrowding of departing and arriving passengers in the relatively-new airport terminal which was inaugurated barely two years ago.

Bayron said the resolution has been forwarded to Secretary Mar Roxas of the Department of Transportation and Communications (DoTC).

The expansion and improvement of the airport has an existing project proposal which was already approved by the National Economic Development Authority (NEDA) Board during the administration of former President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo.

In the new administration, the project has been included in the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) program.

President Benigno S. Aquino’s administration said the airport expansion project is scheduled for 2011 Roll-Out.

The cost of the expansion and improvement project of the Puerto Princesa Airport Terminal is estimated at US$97.78 million or P4.4 billion.

This will involve the construction of new landside facilities in the north western side of the existing runway such as passenger terminal building, control tower, administration & operation building, cargo terminal building, rescue & fire fighting building and other support facilities, the construction of new apron and connecting taxiways, upgrading of the existing 2.6-kilometer runway and its strip, and the provision of new navigational and traffic control equipment.

Tourist arrivals tripled due to the fame and promotions of the Puerto Princesa Underground River (PPUR) in its bid in the New 7 Wonders of Nature.

There are now eight to ten flights daily from four major airlines.