By Rjay Zuriaga Castor
The Bureau of Immigration (BI) has announced its preparedness for the resumption of international flights at the Iloilo International Airport in Cabatuan, scheduled for October this year.
“Now, the BI Iloilo District Office is ready to accept flights coming in and out of the Iloilo Airport,” said Joann M. Lagamon, Acting Alien Control Officer of the BI district office.
Lagamon noted that the BI has already conducted a series of simulation exercises with the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines Area VI (CAAP-6), the Bureau of Customs, the Bureau of Quarantine, and other relevant agencies.
She emphasized that these simulation exercises focused on post-pandemic protocols.
Lagamon also mentioned that ongoing dry-run activities are being conducted by the relevant agencies to ensure the airport and its personnel are fully prepared for the return of international flights.
Earlier this July, airline carrier Cebu Pacific announced that it would relaunch direct flights from Iloilo to Hong Kong and Iloilo to Singapore by October 2024.
The return of international flights responds to long-standing requests from local chief executives of Iloilo.
CAAP-6 previously mentioned the possibility of implementing a slotting mechanism at the airport.
This system, which was used before the COVID-19 pandemic, involves scheduling specific times for airlines to land or take off.
Additionally, CAAP-6 recently announced the early arrival and activation of three new chillers, which have been installed ahead of the September replacement deadline.
The three chillers, worth ₱37.5 million, arrived on July 16 and were fully operational by July 30.
With the addition of these chillers, Iloilo Airport now has four new units, including one that arrived in June 2023. These new chillers have replaced four of the five older units, with one of the old chillers retained as a backup for rotational use.
