Yet unnamed airlines are eyeing the opening of flights to the Baguio City Loakan airport, according to Loakan Airport manager Rosito Tamayo Jr.
According to Tamayo, who advised the City Council on the possibility of more airlines opening up their own routes to Loakan, information among the airline industry players indicates that there is rising interest in connecting the city via air travel to other stations in the country.
“Nothing official has been transmitted to us (at the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines or CAAP). But it is actually natural in this industry for airlines to follow the lead of a rival company,” Rosito said.
The Philippine Airlines (PAL) is currently the only airline to have a route utilizing the Baguio airport, connecting it to Cebu in Visayas.
Captain Stanley Ng, PAL president, said the Baguio-Cebu flights establish new connectivity between Luzon and the Visayas and would help promote travel and economic activity.
According to Baguio Mayor Benjamin Magalong, the 3-year process of getting the airport ready for PAL’s return to the city will aid in the economic recovery that Baguio is attempting to achieve after years of the COVID-19 pandemic.