Aboitiz Group infrastructure business unit Aboitiz InfraCapital, Inc. has teamed up with Irish airport operations company daa International for the future upgrade, expansion, and operations and maintenance (O&M) of the Bohol-Panglao and Laguindingan Airports.
“We are pleased to work with the reputable daa International for both the Bohol-Panglao International Airport and Laguindingan Airport. Our robust management and execution track record combined with daa International’s global perspective and technical expertise will ensure the transformation of these two airports into world-class regional gateways that we can truly be proud of,” Aboitiz InfraCapital chief operating officer Cosette Canilao said in a statement.
Aboitiz InfraCapital was recently granted original proponent status for its unsolicited proposals to upgrade, expand, operate, and maintain the Bohol-Panglao International Airport and Laguindingan Airport in Laguindingan, Misamis Oriental.
daa International is the global airport operations management subsidiary of Ireland’s Dublin Airport Authority with over 75 years experience in airport management ownership and development. Its principal activities include airport management and development growth, routes development, international travel retail, and associated aviation services.
“We are very excited to be working in the Philippines and in particular, with Aboitiz. Our team strives to build and continually improve successful operations in the airports in which we operate for the benefit of the passenger and client,” daa International said in a statement.
“The Philippines represents a new environment with great potential and promise for daa International. It fits perfectly with our model and long term strategy of sharing international and regional airport management and operational expertise. We will be working with Aboitiz in building sustainability and unlocking value for these airports and their surrounding environs,” daa International added.
daa International operates Ireland’s main gateway Dublin Airport which accommodates about 31 million passengers and the award-winning Cork Airport, a regional airport which can accommodate 2.3 million passengers–similar to the Philippines’ own regional airports. In total, over 85 million passengers travel through the company’s airports worldwide, including Terminal 5 in Riyadh and several other investments across Europe.
The European operator boasts of an untarnished record in various airport activities from project design, execution and operations to retail. daa International will review and optimize the airports’ O&M plans, define and document processes, train personnel, support the airports’ long-term development, and assist in the implementation of the innovative concepts of “connected” and “green” airports.
Aboitiz InfraCapital’s proposed improvements to the Bohol-Panglao International and Laguindingan airports are expected to result in efficient passenger flow within the airport terminals, a better retail and dining experience, and increased flight destinations with reduced congestion at the terminals.
Passenger traffic at Laguindingan Airport has been above the airport’s design capacity of 1.6 million passengers per year from the time the airport began operations in 2013, based on statistics from the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines. In 2018, an estimated two million passengers passed through this airport.
Meanwhile, the Bohol-Panglao International Airport is bracing for similar congestion level. According to airport consultant ICF, tourism in Bohol has grown at an impressive annual rate of 25.2% from 2011 to 2017, and by 30% from 2016 to 2017, reaching an estimated 1.3 million tourists. Panglao is the most popular tourist destination in Bohol, welcoming 704,000 tourists in 2017.
