The Civil Aviation Authority Of the Philippines (CAAP) inaugurated on Thursday, Sept, 23, the newly-developed General Santos Airport.
Department of Transportation Art Tugade and CAAP Director General Jim Sydiongco led the inauguration in a ceremony held with other top officials of the two government agencies and local government units.
Tugade said development projects in General Santos Airport will continue, including the airport’s control tower reconstruction next year to further meet the airport’s requirements.
Among the projects that CAAP and DOTr completed in General Santos Airport include the P434 million worth rehabilitation and expansion of passenger terminal building completed on September 22, 2021; the P107 million worth procurement and installation of navigational aids completed on July 25 this year; and the P23.4 million construction of CAAP administration building completed on October 5, 2020.
The newly constructed two-storey CAAP Administration Building, with an estimated floor area of 900 square meters, now serves as new office space for all administrative personnel of the Airport. The admin building project also includes concreting of its Vehicular Parking Area.
From a previous area of 4,029 square meters, the Airport’s Passenger Terminal Building now has a total of 12,240 square meters. These development projects were able to provide job opportunities to around 380 workers during the airport’s construction phase.
Sydiongco said that the upgraded General Santos Airport can now accommodate up to two million passengers every year from the previous 800,000 passengers.
He said the upgrade is seen to reinforce the thriving economy of its city, providing travelers with convenient and comfort on the way to one of the country’s influential economic centers.