MANILA, Philippines—The Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) reopened General Santos International Airport (GSIA) on Monday, following a six-day closure due to the 7.8 magnitude earthquake that hit Mindanao.
The facility suspended commercial air traffic operations after the powerful earthquake damaged the control tower and passenger terminal building on June 8.
Before the reopening, the Department of Transportation completed a comprehensive safety assessment confirming that the facility is structurally sound.
Following the clearance, the airport authority welcomed the passengers of Cebu Pacific flight 5J997, the first commercial flight to land, which touched down at 7:08 a.m.
CAAP said repairs are ongoing at the GenSan airport, but it has been restored sufficiently to safely resume full commercial operations.
