The Department of Transportation said the runway rehabilitation of Surigao Airport was completed, with the gateway set to reopen for flights before the end of the year.
It said the runway rehabilitation was conducted following the heavy damage wrought by a magnitude 6.7 earthquake in 2017 that temporarily limited its operations.
DOTR assistant secretary for procurement and project implementation Giovanni Lopez said another 340 meters of the runway were restored, bringing its total length to 1,400 meters. This will allow Surigao Airport to resume direct flights to and from Manila. Flights from Surigao to Cebu can now operate without limitations on passenger load.
Following the completion of the 1,400-meter runway, contractors will work on returning the runway to its previous full operational capability at 1,800 meters by the first quarter of 2020.
Lopez said the successful runway completion ahead of the November 2019 target was a product of close cooperation between government agencies.
