ILOILO CITY – Officials of Aklan have opposed the proposed international flights at Boracay Airport in Malay town due to their adverse effects to the economy of the province.
Provincial Board Member Jupiter Gallenero confirmed to Manila Bulletin in an online interview on Thursday, Dec. 15, that a resolution was passed earlier this week opposing international flights at the airport also known as the Godofredo P. Ramos Airport (GPRA).
In Resolution No. 2022-289, the Aklan Sangguniang Panlalawigan (Aklan Provincial Board) said the Kalibo International Airport (KIA) in the capital town of Kalibo is the main gateway to the province as well as Boracay Island, the country’s most famous beach destination.
The KIA caters to domestic and international flights. It is under the management of the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP), an attached agency of the Department of Transportation (DOTr).
But the GPRA caters only to domestic flights and occasional chartered international flights. It is managed by Trans Aire Development Holdings Corp., a subsidiary of San Miguel Corp.
Aklan legislators noted how the national government has spent billions upgrading KIA over the years, but is underutilized.
As of Nov. 30, KIA catered to only 239,824 domestic passengers and 40,862 international passengers. On the other hand, the GPRA catered to 925,741 domestic passengers.
“It deprives the national government of much needed revenues to recoup what it has spent for KIA,” the Aklan legislators noted.
“But more importantly, it will have serious adverse repercussions to Aklan’s economy by depriving businesses, including hotels, transport services, restaurants, and other tourism-oriented establishments, as well as workers, relying on both domestic and international passengers at KIA as their source of income,” the Aklan legislators added.