NEWSFLASH

EXPANSION WORK CLOSES BUTUAN AIRPORT

Butuan City, July 16, 2000 - The Butuan City airport has been temporarily closed since July 8 due to the expansion work on its runway to accommodate wide-bodied Boeing 737-400 planes that the Philippine Airlines will field next year.

The Air Transportation Office said the airport may reopen on July 20, or about two weeks before the Butuan’s 50th founding anniversary on Aug. 2, the celebration of which the local government has allocated millions of pesos.

At present, only six-seater planes can land at the Butuan City airport, the only operational airport in Caraga Region.

Last year, Lucio Tan’s Air Philippines planned to operate the Manila-Butuan City route after passenger load increased to 270 daily, but the plan did not materialize.

Asian Spirit that services minor routes plan to operate the Butuan City-Cebu route this year. It has closed the Tandag-Cebu route due to decreasing number of passengers.

While the Butuan airport is closed, air commuters can avail of the Cagayan de Oro airport some 200 kilometers away.

There are three other smaller airports in Caraga Region including the nearly completed General Luna Airport in Siargao Island and those in Tandag and Surigao City.