TACLOBAN CITY – Daniel Z. Romualdez (DZR) Airport in the Philippines is set to become an international airport by 2025, according to the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP). The airport, which is currently a major domestic airport, will see a number of projects aimed at improving the facility, with funding already in place for these upgrades.
According to a Philippine News Agency report, the first phase of a new passenger terminal building is already 47.41% complete, with a budget of PHP731.6 million. The second phase is set to begin early this year, with a budget of PHP700 million.
The total cost for the development of the terminal building is PHP1.96 billion and will have a total area of 36,298.98 square meters, accommodating to accommodate 1,670 passengers. The building will be inspired by the San Juanico Bridge, and the city's coastal mountain landscape merged with Taklub fishcage.
In addition to the new terminal building, the existing passenger terminal building with a seating capacity of 600 will be renovated. The project's budget is already available, including the PHP1.42 billion release announced by the Department of Budget and Management for 2023.
The CAAP has also announced the completion of the first phase of the PHP49.9 million construction of the control tower structure and is now moving on to the second phase, which involves the PHP17.73 million installation of communication equipment.
Funding is also available this year to acquire 131,539 square meters of land, which will allow for the expansion of the runway from 2.1 kilometers to 2.5 kilometers. This project is set to be implemented in 2024 and aims to meet international runway length standards to accommodate international flights by 2025.
The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) also recently finished the PHP46 million new airport access road.
DZR airport in Tacloban City is one of the busiest in the country, with 36 daily flights between Manila and Cebu. It was ranked seventh busiest in September 2022, with 975,127 million inbound and outbound passengers.
In the future, the Department of Transportation hopes to complete and operationalize the new terminal building and control tower, lengthen the existing runway, provide a 200-meter runway end safety area on both ends, and finish construction of the new taxiway leading to the new apron, among other things. (Source: PNA)