Godofredo P. Ramos Airport

Godofredo P. Ramos Airport (IATA: MPH, ICAO: RPVE), also known as Caticlan Airport and recently, Boracay Airport by its developer Trans Aire, is an airport serving the general area of the municipality of Malay, located in the province of Aklan in the Philippines. It is one of the two gateways to Boracay, the other being Kalibo International Airport in Kalibo. The airport is classified as a Class 1 principal (major domestic) airport by the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines.

Godofredo P. Ramos Airport Paeoparan it Godofredo P. Ramos Hulugpaan sang Godofredo P. Ramos Paliparan ng Godofredo P. Ramos
The airport apron in June 2022
IATA: MPH ICAO: RPVE
Summary
Airport type	Public
Owner	Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines
Operator	Trans Aire Development Holdings Corporation
Serves	Boracay
Location	Malay and Nabas, Aklan, Philippines
Opened	1935; 89 years ago (1935)
Elevation AMSL	5 m / 16 ft
Coordinates	11°55′29″N 121°57′18″E / 11.92472°N 121.95500°E / 11.92472; 121.95500
Map
MPH/RPVE Show map of Visayas MPH/RPVE Show map of Philippines
Runways
Direction Length Surface m ft 06/24^[a] 1,800 5,906 Concrete
Statistics (2022)
Passengers 2,308,195 284.73% Aircraft movements 18,500 210.61% Cargo (in kg) 11,037,225 105.29%
Source: CAAP^[1]

The airport is the fourth-busiest airport in the Philippines and the busiest in the Western Visayas region, serving 2.3 million passengers in 2022.^[1]

Since November 7, 2012, the airport has been named after the late Godofredo P. Ramos, a former congressman who is known as the "Father of Aklan" as he authored a house bill proposing the separation of Aklan from the province of Capiz that was later approved in 1956.^[2] However, the name Caticlan Airport derives from its location in the barangay of Caticlan in the municipality of Malay.

History

 

The airport runway in 2013 prior to its expansion.

 

The airport terminal in 2009 prior to its renovation.

This airport was founded in 1935 as Tabung Point Airfield, an emergency landing strip in the municipality of Buruanga, then-located in the province of Capiz. Although the airport remained in the same location, but in 1949, the newly-formed municipality of Malay was separated from Buruanga, and in 1956, the newly-formed province of Aklan was separated from Capiz.

Prior to 1996, chartered airlines served the airport until in April that year, Asian Spirit became the first scheduled airline to serve the airport, launching two daily flights from Manila using second-hand Dash 7 aircraft.^[3] South East Asian Airlines later followed in 2005 using Dornier 328 aircraft.^[4] In February 2008, Cebu Pacific launched flights to Caticlan using ATR 72-500 aircraft,^[5] followed by PAL Express on May 5 using Dash 8 Q300 aircraft.^[6]

Due to the airport's short runway prior to its expansion, the airport was restricted to small aircraft. As Boracay-bound tourists increased, passenger traffic increased, causing an increase in congestion at the airport which caused inconvenient service and safety hazards to travelers. From 1994 to 2004, the airport experienced an average annual growth of 31 percent.^[7]

In addition, during bad weather, flights are diverted to Kalibo International Airport, 68 kilometers (42 mi) from Caticlan.^[8]

Expansion

 

An Airbus A320 of PAL Express on the runway. PAL Express was the first airline to launch A320 flights to the airport.

In January 2008, the National Economic and Development Authority approved the expansion of the airport, which would be undertaken by the Caticlan International Airport and Development Corporation (CIADC), a private company.^[7] The ₱2.5 billion expansion of the airport would entail two stages: the construction of a new ₱2.1-billion passenger terminal in the first stage, and the extension of the existing runway from 950 meters (3,120 ft) to 2,100 meters (6,900 ft) as well as upgrading airport equipment and the existing apron, which would cost ₱360 million.^[7] The upgrading works would enable the airport not only to support jet aircraft but also to serve international destinations.

Solicited as a Build-Operate-Transfer project and financed by a 70-30 mixture of bank loan and private sector equity,^[7] around 25 percent of the allocated funds would be used to clear a hill near the airport's proximity, while an additional 18 percent would be allocated for land reclamation to accommodate an extended runway.^[9] The 25-year concession agreement was signed in 2009.^[10]

In January 2010, Boracay Foundation Inc. opposed the project due to the negative environmental effects of leveling a hill near the airport. The chairman of the foundation group said that leveling the hill would damage Boracay's ecosystem, while saying that the airport in Kalibo should be the international airport for a better environmental impact. The group also supported limited developments in Caticlan for domestic operations only.^[11]

In April 2010, San Miguel Corporation acquired a majority stake in CIADC.^[12] It earmarked US$300 million for the project in June 2011.^[10]

The airport terminal underwent renovations starting 2009^[13] and was inaugurated on June 25, 2011, with President Benigno Aquino III leading the inauguration.^[14]

On November 18, 2016, the extended runway and new apron opened for commercial operations. The runway was extended to 1,800 meters (5,900 ft).^[15] The first Airbus A320 flight to land was Philippine Airlines Flight 2059 from Manila, a flight operated by PAL Express, on that day.^[8] Cebu Pacific followed suit on November 23, landing its first A320 flight as Flight 899. Both airlines upgraded most of their Caticlan flights to A320s, having previously served by turboprops.^[16] Philippines AirAsia, which operates an all-A320 fleet, launched flights to the airport on March 15, 2017,^[17] landing its first flight as Flight 221.^[18]

International flights commenced on December 26, 2022, when the first international flight, an Airbus A320 operating as Royal Air Philippines Flight 258 from Taoyuan International Airport, landed at the airport.^[19]

Structure

 

Aerial view of Boracay and Caticlan, with the airport on the right

Runway

The airport has a single 1,800-meter (5,900 ft) runway with a width of 45 meters (148 ft). It can accommodate aircraft big as a A321^[20] The runway was previously 950 meters (3,120 ft) long^[16] and 30 meters (98 ft) wide, restricting the airport to small turboprops.^[20] It was upgraded to the current dimensions in 2016.^[15]

Navigational equipment for night operations were installed in the runway, making the airport capable of night operations since 2017. Cebu Pacific became the first airline to operate night flights to the airport.^[21] During Nighttime in the airport Propeller Planes were used at night. Cebu Pacific Operates ATR’S 72 At Night. Meanwhile PAL Uses The De-Havilland Q-400’s for night to Manila.

Terminal and apron

 

Terminal

Godofredo P. Ramos Airport has two separate passenger terminals. The old terminal, located in barangay Caticlan in Malay, is currently used for departing passengers. It was used for both departing and arriving passengers until the opening of the new apron in the nearby municipality of Nabas.^[15] An interim terminal was built at the new apron and is used for arriving passengers to accommodate the increase in passenger traffic.^[22] A permanent two-level passenger terminal building is currently under construction. The new terminal would have twelve jet bridges and a capacity of six million passengers annually.^[23]

The old apron used to accommodate four turboprop aircraft, while the new apron has twelve parking bays that can accommodate larger Airbus A320 aircraft.^[23]

Airlines and destinations

Airlines	Destinations
AirSWIFT	El Nido
Cebgo	Cebu, Manila
Cebu Pacific	Cebu, Clark, Manila
PAL Express	Cebu, Clark, Manila
Philippines AirAsia	Cebu, Clark, Manila
Royal Air Philippines	Manila, Taipei–Taoyuan Charter: Hong Kong, Nanjing,^[24] Ningbo, Shanghai–Pudong^[24]
Sunlight Air	Cebu, Clark

Statistics

Data from Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP).^[1]

Year	Passenger movements		Aircraft movements		Cargo movements (in kg)
	Domestic	% change	Domestic	% change	Domestic	% change
2003	216,826		11,254		2,417,887
2004	392,484	81.01	15,404	36.88	2,856,501	18.14
2005	521,518	32.88	20,266	31.56	4,097,425	43.44
2006	519,044	0.47	19,762	2.49	4,477,032	9.26
2007	548,187	5.61	19,996	1.18	4,489,531	0.28
2008	761,961	39.00	23,868	19.36	6,275,264	39.78
2009	543,483	28.67	15,442	35.30	3,950,266	37.05
2010	623,545	14.73	24,196	56.69	5,362,766	35.76
2011	732,172	17.42	18,636	22.98	5,760,565	7.42
2012	595,564	18.66	15,956	14.38	5,001,827	13.17
2013	430,305	27.75	11,654	26.96	4,548,187	9.07
2014	507,621	17.97	12,558	7.76	5,580,874	22.71
2015	544,822	7.33	12,652	0.75	4,402,685	21.11
2016	736,559	35.19	14,438	14.12	4,844,437	10.03
2017	1,330,719	80.67	15,004	3.92	6,516,577	34.52
2018	902,594	32.17	10,232	31.80	6,412,936	1.59
2019	1,789,511	98.26	15,532	51.80	9,381,838	46.30
2020	439,893	75.42	4,176	73.11	2,709,790	71.12
2021	599,956	36.39	5,956	42.62	5,376,428	98.41
2022	2,308,195	284.73	18,500	210.61	11,037,225	105.29

Ground transport

Bus and destinations

• Ceres Liner - Kalibo, Iloilo
• Ceres Tours - Iloilo
• Ceres Transport - Bacolod, Iloilo, Manila

Incidents and accidents

• On July 19, 2005, Interisland Airlines aircraft RP-C2803, an arriving Yakovlev 40A aircraft touched down short of runway 06. A tire burst as it struck the raised lip of the runway. When removing the airplane from the runway the undercarriage collapsed, causing substantial damage to the aircraft. The aircraft was occupied by 3 crew and 20 passengers. There were no fatalities.^[25]
• On November 2, 2006, Interisland Airlines aircraft RP-C2695, a Yakovlev 40A aircraft, arrived to pick up a group of tourists. On landing at runway 06, the left main gear tire burst. The aircraft started to swerve to the left, towards the apron were a DHC-7 had just started engines. The crew avoided collision with the DHC-7. After passing the apron, the Yak-40 drifted sideways entering the grass on the left side of the runway. Because of lateral forces, the right main gear collapsed. The aircraft came to rest on the edge of the runway. After three hours the airplane was towed off the runway into the grass. On arrival, the aircraft had no passengers. There were no fatalities.^[26]
• On January 11, 2009, Zest Airways Flight 865, a Xian MA60 with 22 passengers three crew aboard, undershot runway 06 when it landed, swerved sharply to the left when it touched the runway after the initial impact and hit a concrete barrier seriously damaging its nose. The plane's landing gears and propellers also suffered major damage. Three people were injured. There were no fatalities.^[27]
• On June 25, 2009, Zest Airways Flight 863, a Xian MA60 with 54 passengers and five crew aboard, overshot the runway when it landed at the airport. The aircraft totally lost its braking capability, causing it to overshoot runway 24. There were no injuries.^[28]

Notes

1. Runway 06 is 1,700 meters (5,600 ft) long with a displaced threshold of 100 meters (330 ft) and 24 is 1,750 meters (5,740 ft) long with a displaced threshold of 50 meters (160 ft).

References

1. "Aircraft, Passenger, and Cargo Movements". Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines. Retrieved September 5, 2022.
2. Beltran, Jill (November 13, 2012). "Aklan renames airport in honor of former legislator". SunStar. Retrieved August 17, 2022.
3. Arnaldo, Ma. Stella F. (March 29, 2008). "Asian Spirit sold for 'around P1B'". BusinessMirror. Retrieved November 16, 2022 – via ABS-CBN News.
4. "SEAIR Intl re-launches flights to Caticlan". ABS-CBN News. August 30, 2013. Retrieved November 16, 2022.
5. "Cebu Pacific flies back to Caticlan Boracay on March". Retrieved November 16, 2022.
6. Santos, Rudy (May 6, 2008). "PAL launches PAL Express to service secondary routes". The Philippine Star. Retrieved November 16, 2022.
7. . The Manila Times. January 22, 2008. Archived from the original on April 9, 2008.
8. Zabal, Boy Ryan B. (November 21, 2016). "Bigger jet to boost Caticlan airport arrivals". Radyo Birada Boracay. Retrieved November 16, 2022.
9. . Manila Standard Today. January 22, 2008. Archived from the original on February 17, 2008.
10. Dela Peña, Zinnia B. (June 27, 2011). "SMC sets $300-million budget for Caticlan airport". The Philippine Star. Retrieved November 16, 2022.
11. Ronda, Rainier Allan (January 11, 2010). "Boracay group opposes Caticlan airport upgrade". The Philippine Star. Retrieved November 16, 2022.
12. Aquino, N.P. (April 12, 2010). "San Miguel buys majority stake in group that will modernize Caticlan Airport". GMA News. Retrieved August 17, 2022.
13. "Caticlan airport to offer modern facilities". DesignCurial. July 1, 2009. Retrieved November 16, 2022.
14. "PNoy opens new Caticlan airport terminal". Libre News. June 27, 2011. Archived from the original on August 11, 2013.
15. Padin, Mary Grace (November 20, 2016). "Caticlan Airport ready to handle bigger aircraft". The Philippine Star. Retrieved August 22, 2022.
16. "Caticlan Airport: capacity doubles with expansion from AirAsia, Cebu Pacific and Philippine Airlines". CAPA - Centre for Aviation. February 24, 2017. Retrieved August 17, 2022.
17. Buccat, Rhys (March 15, 2017). "AirAsia launches its inaugural flights to Caticlan". ABS-CBN News. Retrieved September 13, 2022.
18. "AirAsia celebrates inaugural flight to Caticlan/Boracay". BusinessMirror. March 26, 2017. Retrieved November 16, 2022.
19. Zabal, Boy Ryan B. (January 2, 2023). "Caticlan airport receives inaugural flight from Taipei". Panay News. Retrieved January 29, 2023.
20. Austria, Jenniffer B. (September 23, 2015). "Bigger Caticlan airport on track". Manila Standard. Retrieved August 17, 2022.
21. "Cebu Pacific to launch evening flights to Caticlan in July". ABS-CBN News. June 22, 2017. Retrieved September 12, 2022.
22. Amojelar, Darwin G. (November 25, 2016). "San Miguel set to finish Caticlan airport terminal". Manila Standard. Retrieved August 17, 2022.
23. Amojelar, Darwin G. (June 6, 2017). "San Miguel: Caticlan terminal ready in '18". Manila Standard. Retrieved August 17, 2022.
24. "Royalair Philippines 1Q24 Boracay – China Charter Network Expansion". AeroRoutes. January 16, 2024.
25. Accident description, Aviation Safety Network
26. Accident description, Aviation Safety Network
27. Accident, Aviation Safety Network
28. Accident description, Aviation Safety Network

External links

• Airport information for RPVE at Great Circle Mapper. Source: DAFIF (effective October 2006).
• Accident history for MPH at Aviation Safety Network