Aboitiz all set to take over Panglao airport in June
Aboitiz InfraCapital Inc. (AIC) is all set to take over the operations and maintenance of Bohol-Panglao International Airport (BPIA) next month, targeting to increase annual passenger capacity to 2.5 million in two years.
In a statement on Wednesday, the company said it was on track to operate the gateway in June, expanding its portfolio that already includes Mactan-Cebu International Airport and Laguindingan International Airport.
“The modernization of BPIA is not just about upgrading infrastructure—it’s about enabling the continued rise of Bohol as a vibrant tourism and economic hub in the Visayas,” AIC president and CEO Cosette Canilao said.
By 2030, the infrastructure arm of the Aboitiz Group plans to increase the annual passenger capacity of the airport to 3.9 million from the current 2 million.
Apart from passenger terminal building expansion, the P4.53-billion project also includes installation of modern aviation systems and enhancements of airside and landslide facilities.
The Laguindingan airport, prior to this, was officially turned over to AIC on April 26, marking the start of the rehabilitation.
Phases of development
For the first phase, the capacity of Laguindingan airport will increase to 3.9 million passengers per annum (mppa) from the current 1.6 mppa. It will be further expanded to 6.3 mppa during the second phase, depending on the traffic demand.
Ahead of the takeover, AIC already began coordinating with the government for the transfer of management of airport’s facilities, buildings and land.
Winning the two airport contracts last year came after the company had bought the Mactan-Cebu International Airport in 2022 from the consortium of Megawide Construction Corp. and GMR Airports International BV via a P25-billion share subscription and transfer agreement.
Since last year, AIC has taken full control over the Cebu gateway.
