Aboitiz InfraCapital, Inc., the infrastructure business unit of the Aboitiz Group, has teamed up with Dublin Airport operator daa International for its proposals to operate, maintain, upgrade and expand Bohol-Panglao and Laguindingan airports.
daa International is a subsidiary of Ireland’s Dublin Airport Authority and has over 75 years of experience in airport management and development.
“We are pleased to work with the reputable daa International for both the Bohol-Panglao International Airport and Laguindingan Airport,” said Cosette V. Canilao, Aboitiz InfraCapital chief operating officer.
“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,” she added.
Bohol-Panglao International Airport is on Panglao Island in Bohol while Laguindingan Airport, located in Misamis Oriental, is the gateway to Cagayan de Oro City and the rest of Northern Mindanao.
Aboitiz InfraCapital was granted “original proponent status” for its unsolicited proposals for the operations & maintenance, upgrading and expansion of these two airports.
In a statement issued on March 27, 2019, Aboitiz InfraCapital’s parent firm Aboitiz Equity Ventures, Inc. (AEV) said 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.”
“The European operator boasts of an untarnished record in various airport activities from project design, execution and operations to retail,” AEV said.
daa International operates Dublin Airport as well as the regional Cork Airport. Dublin Airport, which is Ireland’s main gateway, accommodates about 31 million passengers while Cork Airport can accommodate 2.3 million passengers.
“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 the same 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.
Passenger traffic at Laguindingan Airport reached 2.0 million in 2018, higher than the airport’s capacity of 1.6 million, according to the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP).
The Bohol-Panglao airport, hailed as the first eco-airport in the Philippines, was designed for 2.0 million passengers annually, more than double the 800,000 capacity of the old airport in the provincial capital of Tagbilaran City. The airport was inaugurated on November 27, 2018. (Ventures Cebu)