Loakan Airport (Ilocano: Pagtayaban ti Loakan, Tagalog: Paliparan ng Loakan) (IATA: BAG, ICAO: RPUB) serves the general area of Baguio, Philippines. It is classified as a Class 2 principal (minor domestic) airport by the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP). Loakan Airport, the city's only airport, was built in 1934.[2] Its short runway, frequent low visibility, and deep ravines at both ends of the runway continue to challenge pilots greatly, especially when it comes to landing.

Loakan Airport Pagtayaban ti Loakan Paliparan ng Loakan
The airport in 1983
IATA: BAG ICAO: RPUB
Summary
Airport type	Public
Operator	Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines
Serves	Baguio
Location	Loakan Proper, Baguio, Benguet
Elevation AMSL	1,296 m / 4,251 ft
Coordinates	16°22′30″N 120°37′10″E
Map
BAG/RPUB Location in the Philippines
Runways
Direction Length Surface m ft 09/27 1,802 5,912 Concrete
Statistics (2014)
Passengers 2,035 Aircraft movements 844 Tonnes of cargo 0
Statistics from the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines.[1]

History

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Operation

The airport is currently closed for commercial operations but is still used by military and private aircraft. Plans to revive the airport have been announced by numerous entities over the years.[3]

In January 2020, before the Philippines suffered the COVID-19 Pandemic, the city government of Baguio announced that they were considering a deal from San Miguel Corporation to open and operate the airport in the second quarter of 2020.[4] It had already started moves to ensure that the airport is ready for commercial operations by resolving the issues seen by the CAAP such as the encroachment of residents and obstructions on the runway but have received protests from residents who have legitimate land titles in the area.[5][6]

Although the city government announced the following year that the airport is now ready to receive commercial flights after it has completed the initial steps outlined by the CAAP to address the safety issues for commercial aircraft,[7] a more targeted opening date was not announced until 2022, with the city government announcing that it aims to reopen the airport in November 2022, in time for the year's Christmas season.[8] It also announced that it will spend around ₱68 million to rehabilitate the airport terminal.[9] In October 2022, PAL Express announced the launch of flights to and from Cebu in December, the first regular commercial service to operate through the airport in decades.[10]

Airlines and destinations

Incidents and accidents

• A Philippine Airlines DC-3 was lost on takeoff in 1952.[11]
• On the morning of June 27, 1987, Philippine Airlines Flight 206 a Hawker Siddeley HS 748, bound for Baguio, crashed into the slopes of Mt. Ugo while attempting to land in a monsoon, killing all 50 people on board. A Philippine Air Force Bell UH-1 Huey was lost during recovery operations of that crash.[12]
• A Philippine Air Force Cessna T-41 crashed right after takeoff on May 25, 2005. All four airmen died.[13]
• On April 7, 2009, a Bell 412 presidential helicopter owned by the Philippine Air Force carrying eight key aides of President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo crashed into the slopes of Mount Pulag in Tinoc, Ifugao while en route to Lagawe, the provincial capital of Ifugao, after attempting to return to Loakan Airport due to bad weather. Mount Pulag is over 50 km away from Loakan Airport. All on board died and Malacañang mourned their deaths. The key aides were checking the area for a planned visit by President Arroyo to inspect a mountain road project. Because of the disaster, she cancelled her trip. U.S. officials dispatched CH-46 Sea Knights to find the downed aircraft.[14][15]

See also

• List of airports in the Philippines

References

External links

• Website of Baguio
• Accident history for BAG / RPUB at Aviation Safety Network