Tagbilaran Airport closed due to haze

TAGBILARAN CITY, Bohol (PNA) – Hundreds of Bohol-bound passengers from Manila have been re-routed to Cebu upon advisory from the tower controller at the Tagbilaran Airport that visibility rate have stayed low within two kilometers.

Stranded Manila-bound passengers from Bohol opted to take fast craft ferries to Cebu where they will take off from Mactan-Cebu International Airport.

No Bohol-bound aircraft from Manila have been given clearance to proceed with flights as thick haze now covers landmarks here. The situation has been aggravated since there is no Instrument Landing System at the Tagbilaran Airport (ILS).

Aircraft landing at Tagbilaran Airport have to operate on visual flight rules.

Joel Palingcod, tower controller at Tagbilaran Airport, said it was still uncertain when the haze would dissipate due to low wind velocity.

All flights last Saturday, Oct. 24 have been cancelled because of the haze.

No commercial aircraft got through Tagbilaran Airport, while only general aviation remained at the tarmac shoulders.

Palingcod said no airline has proceeded with any trip after the first flight from Manila failed to depart upon the two-kilometer visibility advisory at Tagbilaran due to haze.

With the current visibility situation, Maribojoc and Panglao mountains are hardly visible as reference points from the Tagbilaran airport control tower.

Palingcod explained that pilots on visual flight rules could only watch out for landmarks such as mountains and buildings.

Ideally, aircraft on visual flight rules are only safe to fly with visibility of at least five kilometers to be able to watch for landmarks.

Palingcod said he has learned that the situation was even worse at Dumaguete Airport in Sibulan, Negros Oriental where the visibility was only at a range of one-kilometer.

Mactan-Cebu International Airport has an advantage with aircraft on instrument approach aided by radar.

Haze is also present in Cebu, but aircraft have managed to land at MCIA since the airport is ILSequipped, except those operating on visual flights rules.

In Tagbilaran, the runway has no ILS that could guide the aircraft in finding its path instrumentally, he said.