Wednesday, February 10, 2021

Work on to open Loakan Airport; demolition of houses set at buffer zone

BAGUIO CITY is set to resume commercial flights at Loakan Airport following completion of requirements imposed by the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) to address the safety issues for commercial aircrafts even as demolition of houses affected by expansion construction works has still to be addressed 
    Engineer Janurio Borillo, head of traffic and transportation management division of the City Engineering Office said a survey will ascertain lots to be expropriated for bypass road at the western portion of the airport to permanently close the airport to pedestrians and motorists.
     He added police from Station 4 of the Baguio City Police Office and the Aviation Security Group will be deployed along Kias Road during flights to control traffic.
    Traffic bar and signs on the road at the end of runway 27 will be set up wherein CAAP will provide a temporary movable stop bar while the CEO will construct the fixed traffic bar.
    The CEO official said the City Environment and Parks Management Office trimmed trees inside the runway and takeoff and approach surface of runway 27 to ensure safety of aircraft that are landing and taking off.
     He said the Bureau of Fire Protection agreed to provide additional fire trucks in the airport two hours before flights until such time that fire trucks from CAAP will be permanently stationed in the airport.
    Borillo said announcements will be released by the city government for closure of the Loakan Road closing runway 27 approach from pedestrians and vehicles during approach and landing operations.
    He cited need for strict enforcement of wildlife control around the airport to ensure there will be no stray animals that will pose threat to safety of the aircrafts landing and taking off from the airport.
    However, he said the city government has yet to work out relocation or demolition of illegal structures located within the buffer zone and runway strip for the safe landing and takeoff of the aircrafts intending to service the Baguio route in.
     The CEO has installed no parking signs on roads inside the airport while barangay officials were tasked to notify residents not to park their vehicles inside the buffer zone, especially when there will be flights.
    He said health protocols in the city were provided the CAAP representatives for evaluation and assessment and to guide them in working out  start of test flights before resumption of commercial flights.
 

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