Bacolod–Silay International Airport - Budget Bcd Code

Bacolodâ€"Silay International Airport (Hiligaynon: Pangkalibutan nga Hulugpaan sang Bacolod-Silay; Cebuano: Tugpahanang Pangkalibutan sa Bacolod-Silay; Filipino: Paliparang Pandaigdig ng Bacolod-Silay) (IATA: BCD, ICAO: RPVB) is the main airport serving the general area of Metro Bacolod, in the Negros Island Region of the Philippines. This airport replaced the Bacolod City Domestic Airport in 2008. The Bacolodâ€"Silay International Airport inherited its IATA and ICAO airport codes from the former airport.

The airport is located fifteen kilometers northeast of Bacolod on a 181-hectare site in Barangay Bagtic, Silay. The airport, which is built to handle international air traffic, is expected to become the primary gateway to Negros Island Region. It is one of the two active airports serving the island region, the other being Dumaguete Airport in Sibulan, Negros Oriental.

The Bacolodâ€"Silay Airport is designated as an international airport by the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines, a body of the Department of Transportation that is responsible for the operations of not only this airport but also of all other airports in the Philippines except the major international airports.

History

Planning for a new airport in Bacolod commenced in 1997, when the Japan International Cooperation Agency initiated a study indicating the need for expansion at four Philippine airports: namely Bacolod City Domestic Airport, Mandurriao Airport in Iloilo City, Legazpi Airport in Legazpi and Daniel Z. Romualdez Airport in Tacloban. Of the four airports, two have been completed (Iloilo and Bacolod), one is being built (Legazpi) and another one in planning (Tacloban).

In February 1999, another JICA study was commissioned, this time on the detailed plan of the new airport. The study was completed by March 2000 and was funded by a 430 million-yen grant. Immediately after the completion of the study, JICA hired Pacific Consultants International as advisers to the project.

The project was opened for bidding on August 25, 2003, with the winning bid going to the Takenakaâ€"Itochu Joint Venture (TIJV). Physical construction on the new 4.3 billion-peso airport, funded in part by an 8.2 billion yen loan, commenced in August 2004. A 900-day deadline was imposed for the airport to be completed, which broadly corresponded to January 2007.

The airport was complete as of July 16, 2007, although there was considerable debate over whether the airport should be opened due to the length of its runway. A 500-meter extension of the runway was planned in order for the airport to accommodate larger aircraft yet it has not been started. Depending on the scenario, the airport had a foreseen opening date of November 2007 or sometime in 2010, after the completion of a diversion road leading to the airport.

The first aircraft ever to land at the airport was a small fourteen-seater turboprop owned by Vincent Aviation. The Reims-Cessna F406 with aircraft registration number ZK-VAF, piloted by Steve Gray of New Zealand landed at the airport at 9:55 in the morning of September 26, 2007.

The airport officially opened and began operations on January 18, 2008, and the first commercial flight to arrive was Cebu Pacific's Flight 5J 473 from Manila, an Airbus A319-100 which landed at 5:22 A.M. PST on the same day. Fittingly enough, the pilot in command of the aircraft â€" Captain Allan Garces â€" was a native of Silay. The first international flight to arrive at the airport was a chartered plane from Kazakhstan which landed on January 2, 2009. ZestAir chartered an international flights to and from Incheon on January 7, 2012 to February 22, 2012 utilizing Airbus A320 and serves the route seasonally for Korean golfers. Now the seasonal route is operated by Philippine Airlines, utilizing Airbus A321, offering the flights to non-golfers and the local flying public.

Structure

Runway

The Bacolodâ€"Silay International Airport has one primary runway, which is 45 meters (148 ft) wide and 2,002 meters (6,568 ft) long. The runway runs in a direction of 03°/21°, and can currently handle aircraft as large as the Airbus A330. Provisions for a 500-meter (1,600 ft) expansion of the present runway in order to accommodate even larger aircraft were confirmed on May 23, 2009, when it was reported that the budget for the construction of the 500m extension of the runway has been approved by the Philippine government and bidding and construction is slated to start in the 3rd or 4th quarter of 2009, but it hasn't been expanded yet.

The airport is equipped with an instrument landing system (ILS), making it capable of handling night and low-visibility landings.

Passenger terminal

The entire airport complex is designed to handle an excess of one million passengers and 16,715 tons of cargo annually and consists of 21 buildings with a total floor space of 10,075 square meters (108,450 sq ft).

The largest building in the complex is the 6,187-square-meter (66,600 sq ft) main passenger terminal with three levels. The ground floor holds the check-in counters, the public concourse, the arrival area and the information counter. The second floor has the three pre-departure areas with their VIP and CIP lounges; these pre-departure areas lead out to three jet bridges over an apron that can handle up to five aircraft simultaneously. Philippine Airlines also operates a Mabuhay Lounge for the use of its business class passengers on the second floor. Also on the second floor are Merci Pasalubong Shop and Bong-Bong's Pasalubong Shop, occupying the spot of the former Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines office since transferred to the Administration Building. On the third floor is the viewing deck with a concession area and rooms for maintenance and airport machinery.

The state-of-the-art main passenger terminal is equipped with a flight information display system, mechanized baggage handling systems for both inbound and outbound baggage, numerous security X-ray machines, and elevators and escalators. Outside the main terminal is parking for 350 cars.

Ground transportation

Airport transportation is accessible to passengers travelling in or out of the airport from Bacolod. There are multiple Public Utility Vehicles (PUVs) that offer shuttle services. There are also tricycles outside the airport that provide transportation to nearby destinations in Silay. The new access road connecting the airport and Bacolod is completed and is now accessible to vehicles. It connects to Brgy. Bata in Bacolod.

Airlines and destinations

Passenger