Calayan Island Airport to open 2019

The construction of a new airport is about to be completed in barangay Dadao, municipality of Calayan Island, in Cagayan province. The new airport has a 1,000m long runway and was started (bidding) in September 2015 with an estimated cost of Php9.4 million which is part the Php241 million Airport Development Project of the Department of Transportation and Communication (DOTC, now DOTr).  The construction of the new airport includes the development of apron area and shoulder grade correction. An airport apron is the parking area for aircraft, also for unloading, loading and refueling. It is likewise the space where passengers board the aircraft.

The municipality of Calayan Island is located in the north of Luzon Island in the Philippines and is composed of four islands of the Babuyan Islands namely: Calayan, Camiguin, Dalupiri and Babuyan Island.  Calayan Island being the biggest of the Babuyan Islands (Fuga Island, the 5^th Island in the Channel is part of the municipality of Aparri).

Calayan Island was established as a mission headquarters by the Spaniards in 1722. It was then part of Batanes group of Islands and was brought under the administration of Cagayan province in 1896. Calayan is politically subdivided into 12 barangays: Babuyan Claro, Balatubat, Cabudadan, Centro II, Dadao (site of the new airport), Dalupiri, Dibay, Dilam, Magsidel, Minabel, Naguilian and Poblacion/Centro I.

Calayan Island is presently accessible only by small outrigger boats called “Lampitaw” from Aparri, Claveria or San Vicente Port in Santa Ana and takes seven hours to reach Calayan if the sea is calm. The best time to travel to and from the Island is during the summer months April and May where tourism activities are most active.

Earlier, the Bagabag Airport in Nueva Vizcaya was recently opened for commercial flights The Calayan Airport in barangay Dadao would be the second airport to open in Cagayan Valley for the year 2017 under the “Build, Build, Build” program of the Duterte Administration. The P241.23 million project funded by the DOTr will eventually provide an alternative mode of transportation and increase tourist arrivals resulting to increased economic and tourism activities.

Northsky Air, operator of a fleet of six-seater airtaxi aircraft based in Tuguegarao has already signified its intention to include Calayan Island as one of their flight destinations after the opening the new airport. It is now working out the required permits in time for the start of regular operations of the airport.

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