Iloilo Airport will resume several international flights beginning October 27, marking a significant development for Iloilo province’s economy after a more than four-year hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Among the flights returning are routes to Hong Kong and Singapore, as confirmed by Cebu Pacific airlines during the 33rd Visayas Area Business Conference last Friday, July 26, at the Iloilo Convention Center.
Michele Eve de Guzman, marketing director for Cebu Pacific, announced that daily flights from Iloilo to Hong Kong will commence on October 27, 2024, while the schedule for Iloilo-Singapore flights is still being finalized.
These international routes are part of the daily direct operations from Iloilo, which also include multiple domestic routes to destinations like Cagayan de Oro, Cebu, Clark, Davao, General Santos, Manila, and Puerto Princesa.
Manuela Luisa Palma, manager of Iloilo Airport, assured that the airport facilities have been ready to handle international traffic since last year. Palma also mentioned plans to expand seating capacity to meet increasing demand.
Previously, the airport managed international flights on alternating days between Hong Kong and Singapore. The return of these routes is expected to significantly boost the local economy by making Iloilo more accessible and affordable for international travel.
One of the primary beneficiaries will be returning overseas Western Visayas workers, who will no longer need to stop in Metro Manila before traveling home to Iloilo, saving both time and money.
Iloilo City Mayor Jerry Treñas expressed his excitement over this development, noting its importance for overseas Filipino worker (OFW) communities in Hong Kong and Singapore. Treñas has been in contact with Cebu Pacific management, advocating for the resumption of their operations in Iloilo at the request of OFWs.
Mayor Treñas also called on the Department of Transportation (DOTr) to expedite the airport’s development through Public-Private Partnership (PPP) and urged the Bureau of Customs and Bureau of Immigration to prepare for the influx of international flights.
In September 2022, Iloilo Governor Arthur Defensor, Jr. revealed that an airline company had expressed interest in resuming international flights but withdrew after the province recorded its first monkeypox case in August 2022.
