GENERAL SANTOS CITY–The Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) is eyeing the resumption of night flights at the international airport here by the end of July, when its upgraded runway lights become operational.
Gaspar Figueroa, officer-in-charge of the CAAP station here, said Friday the installation of the airport’s upgraded airfield lighting system has already been completed but has yet to be cleared for use by the central office.
During initial inspection, Figueroa said their technical personnel found some minor problems with the newly-installed lights and recommended immediate adjustments.
Figueroa said they will start using the new lighting system once the CAAP central office completes its assessment and issues a confirmation.
“Our target for (the resumption) of night operations is last week of July,” he said in an interview over radio station Brigada News FM.
CAAP had allotted some PHP40 million for the upgrading of the Tambler airport’s airfield lighting system. It involves the installation of new runway edge lights, solar-powered taxiway edge lights, and runway threshold identification lights.
The project is part of the ongoing PHP959-million city international airport expansion and rehabilitation project, which is due for completion in two years.
Leading airline Cebu Pacific, which has four to six daily flights to and from this city, used to operate night flights to Manila but later scrapped them. Philippine Airlines flies daily from this city to Manila and serves the Cebu and Iloilo routes, along with Cebu Pacific.
Aside from the resumption of the night flights, Figueroa said the new runway lights will ease the landing of aircraft during unfavorable weather conditions. (PNA)
