Zamboanga International Airport is located in Zamboanga City, Philippines. The airport is operated by Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines. It is the main airport serving the region. The airport handled 5.8m passengers in 2009. The aircraft movements recorded and cargo handled during that year were 6,404 and 7,690t respectively.
The airport covers an area of 270ha. The airport was constructed in 1945 and later improvements were carried out by the US Army airfield construction unit.
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The airport is served by domestic and cargo airlines such as Airphil Express, Cebu Pacific, Philippine Airlines and Pacific East Asia Cargo Airlines. The airport was initially used to service nearby international destinations.
The airport was planned to be renamed Maria Clara Lobregat International Airport. This proposal is yet to be approved.
Expansion
There are plans to relocate Zamboanga International Airport to one of the Barangay Mercedes, Barangay Taluksangay or Barangay Talabaan regions in the city. Consultants and engineers from the Asian Development Bank inspected the new airport sites in November 2008.
The national government, via the Philippines Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC), has granted P15m to conduct feasibility study.
The new airport construction is estimated to require 175ha.
The new airport project will include construction of a new terminal, six jet bridges and a modern control tower. Additionally a new 3,440m runway will be built to accommodate heavier aircraft. New taxiways and aprons will be constructed.
Installation of lighting and security equipment are planned. Upon completion the airport is expected to accommodate 8m passengers a year.
Refurbishment of the current airport was completed in 2008. The refurbishing contract was awarded to the Zamboanga City-based Teddie Construction. The works included extension of the runway from 1,372m to 2,610m and the surfacing of it with asphalt.
The government spent P33m on surfacing the runway with asphalt. The runway refurbishment was a part of a P257m project that included the construction of a control tower, terminal and other facilities.
Terminals
The single terminal building of the airport accommodates 400 passengers. The terminal features a metal detector and an X-ray machine at the main entrance of the airport. There are check-in counters, two baggage carousels and push carts. There is a single shop in the terminal managed by the Air Transportation Office.
Travel agencies and ticketing offices are located outside the terminal. There are three rest rooms in the terminal.
The apron covers an area of 30,000m² and has two taxiways, each 25m wide. It is capable of handling four Airbus A320s and eight heavier aircraft simultaneously.
Hangars are located to the south-west of the terminal. There are plans to include another apron across the existing one in order to accommodate more aircraft.
Runway
The airport has a single runway designated 9/27. The length and width of the runway are 2,610m and 45m respectively. It is surfaced with asphalt. There are plans to extend the runway by another 400m to suit heavier aircraft.
The runway is shared by the airport and Edwin Andrews Air Base.
Parking
The airport offers short and long-term parking. The parking area at the airport can accommodate 110 vehicles. There are no taxis for transportation.
