Kalibo airport’s IPTB inauguration set
The extension project now also provides queuing passengers with a 126-square meter covered section outside the international passenger terminal building for weather protection
The Department of Transportation (DoTr) is slated to inaugurate the Kalibo International Airport’s (KIA) International Passenger Terminal Building (IPTB) today following its completion last 15 September 2020.
No less than Transport Secretary Arthur Tugade and Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) director general Captain Jim Sydiongco will grace the launch of the IPTB which is seen to boost the province’s tourism sector.
The CAAP said that the upgraded gateway is expected to improve the economy of Aklan and its nearby provinces and provide tourists with convenient access to the country’s world-class Boracay island resort.
The Transport chief noted that the newly-upgraded IPTB has the capacity to handle 406 passengers from the previous 344 passenger capacity, while the domestic passenger terminal building has a total capacity of 400 passengers.
Tugade added that with the upgrades, the DoTr has also fulfilled his promise to generate local employment as at least 236 local construction workers were employed during the expansion works of the KIA’s IPTB.
Before the improvements made, the airport’s IPTB covered an area of 1,584 square meters but now, it has an area of 2,633.40 square meters and the extension project also provided queuing passengers with a 126-square meter covered section outside the IPTB for weather protection.
The improved facility also provides an additional space for the operation of Customs, Immigration, and Pre-Screening personnel, eliminating the long line of passengers and expanded as well the airport space for airline check-in counters to 468-square meters from the previous 216-square meters.
Passengers can now enjoy a spacious 608.40-square meter pre-departure waiting area after it was extended by an additional 284.40-square meters.
The DoTr and CAAP also implemented rehabilitation works for the domestic terminal which include repainting, as well as floor, tile and toilet repairs.
The Kalibo International Airport is an integral part of the regional transport infrastructure development under the massive “Build, Build, Build” program of the Duterte administration that aims to boost accessibility, mobility and connectivity.