THE Department of Transportation (DOTr) is shifting its airport development strategy by requiring longer runways for new airports and upgrading existing ones.
DOTr Secretary Giovanni Lopez said on Thursday the agency is also expanding public-private partnership (PPP) projects as part of efforts to improve connectivity and help bring down airfares.
Lopez said in an interview all new airport projects are now required to have runways measuring at least 2.1 kilometers to accommodate larger aircraft.
“This time, for our new airports, our focus is the extension of runway. It will become standard now that all our runways must be at least 2.1 kilometers,” he said.
“The policy is intended to enable bigger aircraft to serve more airports across the country, improving accessibility and operational flexibility,” he added.Existing airports will undergo upgrades tailored to local conditions. Lopez cited Siargao Airport in Surigao de Norte, where geographical limitations have prevented the construction of a longer runway.
Instead, he said, the DOTr is introducing operational improvements, including obtaining night-rating capability, which would allow aircraft to operate after dark and increase the number of available flights.
Lopez said the government is also moving forward with plans to extend the Siargao airport’s runway.
He said increasing flight capacity through airport improvements is one of the strategies to help cut fares by lowering airlines’ operating constraints and increasing seat availability.
Lopez clarified that the DOTr is focused on reducing the base fare through infrastructure improvements rather than addressing the travel tax, which is under the jurisdiction of the Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority.
“Our priority is how to reduce the base fare and other costs related to air travel,” he said.
Lopez also shared that construction of the New Manila International Airport in Bulacan continues, and that the airport’s runway has been completed.
