As general and business aviation are slowly being squeezed out from Manila International Airport, the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) is hoping to capture this opportunity and has committed its airport to being a hub for business aviation, similar to Seletar Airport in Singapore.
“My vision is to make Subic Bay International Airport a business aviation airport, as well for general aviation, MRO, and charter flights," said Wilma Eisma, the chairperson and administrator of SBMA. “We can get spillover from neighboring airports like Clark, but I would rather court GA/BA heavily and have a niche for them to attract tourists with curated experiences.”
She told AIN during an Asian Business Aviation Association (AsBAA) visit to Subic Bay that they are in the process of privatizing the airport. The process is under guidance from the U.S. Trade Development Agency on the best methods. The aim is to complete the study this year and start privatizing by 2019, before the end of the Duterte administration in five years.
After years of neglect, especially since the exodus of FedEx, the airport was almost mothballed and turned into an entertainment district by the previous president, Benigno Aquino III. The SBMA now has around 900 million pesos (US$17.6 million) reserved for the improvement works at Subic Airport, such as installation of an instrument landing system and automated weather observation systems. More than 200 hectares (494 acres) of land are earmarked for development at the airport, including plans to extend the 9,000-foot runway.
Also on the table for business aviators is Clark International Airport, which has unveiled a master plan drawn up by Groupe ADP. The former U.S. air base aims to be the second major international hub in the Philippines, with a second terminal currently under construction to handle eight million passengers per annum by 2020.