Aboitiz InfraCapital Inc. teamed up with airport operator Daa International of Ireland for the upgrade, expansion, operations and maintenance of the Bohol-Panglao Airport and Laguindingan Airport.
Daa International is the global airport operations management subsidiary of Ireland’s Dublin Airport Authority with more than 75 years experience in airport management ownership and development. Its principal activities include airport management and development growth, routes development, international travel retail and associated aviation services.
“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.
“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,” the Irish company said.
Daa International operates Ireland’s main gateway Dublin Airport which accommodates about 31 million passengers and the award-winning Cork Airport, a regional airport which can accommodate 2.3 million passengers—similar to the Philippines’ own regional airports. More than 85 million passengers travel through the company’s airports worldwide including Terminal 5 in Riyadh and several other investments across Europe.
The European operator boasts of an untarnished record in various airport activities from project design, execution and operations to retail.
Under the deal, 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.
“We are pleased to work with the reputable Daa International for both the Bohol-Panglao International Airport and Laguindingan Airport. 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,” Aboitiz InfraCapital chief operating officer Cosette Canilao said.
Aboitiz InfraCapital was granted the “original proponent status” for its unsolicited offers to upgrade, expand, operate, and maintain the Bohol-Panglao International Airport in Bohol province and Laguindingan Airport in Misamis Oriental province.
Passenger traffic at Laguindingan Airport exceeded the airport’s design capacity of 1.6 million passengers per year from the time the airport began operations in 2013, based on statistics from the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines. In 2018, two million passengers passed through the airport.
The Bohol-Panglao International Airport is bracing for similar congestion level. According to airport consultant ICF, tourism in Bohol grew at an impressive annual rate of 25.2 percent from 2011 to 2017 and 30 percent from 2016 to 2017, reaching an estimated 1.3 million tourists. Panglao is the most popular tourist destination in Bohol, welcoming 704,000 tourists in 2017.
Aboitiz InfraCapital said the proposed improvements to the Bohol-Panglao International and Laguindingan airports would result in efficient passenger flow within the airport terminals, a better retail and dining experience and increased flight destinations with reduced congestion at the terminals.