General Santos International Airport

Coordinates: 06°03′28″N 125°05′45″E / 6.05778°N 125.09583°E / 6.05778; 125.09583
Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
"General Santos Airport" redirects here. For the military airport, see Rajah Buayan Air Station.

General Santos International Airport

Tugpahanang Pangkalibutanon sa Heneral Santos
Pangkalibutan nga Hulugpaan sang Heneral Santos
Paliparang Pandaigdig ng Heneral Santos
AMSL
154 m / 505 ft
Coordinates06°03′28″N 125°05′45″E / 6.05778°N 125.09583°E / 6.05778; 125.09583
Maps
Map
GES/RPMR is located in Mindanao
GES/RPMR
GES/RPMR
GES/RPMR is located in Philippines
GES/RPMR
GES/RPMR
Runways
Direction Length Surface
m ft
17/35 3,227 10,587 Concrete
Statistics (2022)
Passengers768,749
Increase 334.32%
Aircraft movements4,256
Increase 59.10%
Cargo (in kg)21,063,125
Increase 17.21%
Source: CAAP[1]

General Santos International Airport (

Fatima, General Santos, it is a large airport on the island of Mindanao and is officially classified as an international airport by the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines
(CAAP), a government bureau which is responsible for the management and operations of General Santos International Airport and all other airports in the country except regular international airports.

The airport was inaugurated on July 6, 1996, in time to serve the influx of visitors, athletes, and participants coming in from different parts of the Philippines who were taking part in the 42nd annual

Rajah Buayan Air Base". Though new, wider and much more modern, General Santos International Airport nevertheless retained its old IATA airport code
(GES) from the old Buayan Airport.

History

The terminal building prior to the 2017–2021 facelift
Aerial view of General Santos International Airport prior to the 2017–2021 facelift.

In 1993, the airport, which, at the time, would be the largest airport in

Philippine governments denied the allegation.[9]

Upon the opening of the new airport in 1996, it has since gotten hold of the record as the biggest airport facility in the island of

Boeing 737-300 aircraft to serve its special direct flights to and from the capital to serve the travel needs for the ongoing Palarong Pambansa sports event being held during the time. As before there were no direct flights going to and from the capital of Manila to General Santos as PAL could not utilize its wider body and long range aircraft to safely land and take off in the city's old and smaller Buayan Airport. During then, there were only two options for air travelers to get to Manila by air from General Santos and vice versa. One, is to take and wait for a connecting flight to Manila upon arrival in Mactan–Cebu International Airport in Cebu, and second, is to take a tiresome and lengthy 4-hour land travel by land to Francisco Bangoy International Airport in Davao City
to catch a direct flight to Manila and vice versa.

Philippine Airlines commenced regular thrice weekly direct flights to and from

McDonnell Douglas MD-88
aircraft.

The first international chartered flight to land in General Santos International Airport was of former

President Fidel V. Ramos' homecoming from one of his state visits abroad in the mid-1990s. Aboard PAL's Airbus A340 aircraft, the president and his party landed in General Santos International Airport directly from Bangkok, Thailand. In November 2003, international flights to and from Manado, Indonesia were also briefly operational on a regular weekly frequency to this city by an Indonesian carrier Merpati Nusantara Airlines[10] using Fokker 70 aircraft. PAL has also disclosed plans of commencing international flights to and from General Santos
in the late 1990s.

A330
aircraft.

With the 48-hour shutdown of Francisco Bangoy International Airport in Davao City on June 2–3, 2013 due to an accident involving a Cebu Pacific aircraft from Manila, General Santos International Airport handled most of the diverted flights from Davao for the stranded passengers going to and coming from Manila, Cebu, Zamboanga and Kalibo cities.[12][13]

Bigger aircraft such as the Boeing 777 come to the airport due to tuna cargo and increase of passengers.

Plans to rehabilitate and expand the airport were laid in 2015. The passenger terminal building prior to the facelift has not undergone any repairs.[14][15] Upgrading works began in 2017 and were slated to be completed by 2019.[16] After a few delays, the new airport facilities were inaugurated on September 23, 2021.[17]

Airport facilities and structures

The newly expanded airport in November 2021
Airbus A320-200
on the background.

Runway

General Santos International Airport has a single 3,227-meter (10,587 ft) runway with a width of 45 meters (148 ft), designated as runway 17/35.[18] Made entirely of reinforced concrete and macadam, the airport's runway is the third-longest runway in the Philippines, after Runway 06/24 of Ninoy Aquino International Airport (3,737 meters, 12,260 ft) and Runway 04/22 of Mactan–Cebu International Airport (3,300 meters, 10,800 ft) respectively and is capable of handling the Airbus A380. It is the first airport in Mindanao to have accommodated the landing and take off of Boeing 747 aircraft.

Terminal

The facade design of the airport is patterned after the fins of the yellow-fin tuna. The consideration of the existing second floor of the terminal building which is ideal for the terminal building to expand vertically and for the boarding bridges.[15] Philippine Airlines operates a Mabuhay Lounge intended for its business class passengers.[19]

Prior to the 2017–2021 facelift, the terminal had an area of 4,029 square meters (43,370 sq ft) and an annual capacity of 800,000 passengers. It was expanded to the current area of 12,240 square meters (131,800 sq ft) and increased its capacity to two million passengers per year.[17] Jet bridges were also added during the said upgrade.[20]

Its apron can handle seven aircraft at any time.[21]

Access and transportation

General Santos International Airport is approximately 14 kilometers (8.7 mi) away from the central business district of

Pan Philippine Highway
leading to the city proper as well as to the nearby provinces.

Airlines and destinations

Passenger

AirlinesDestinations
Cebgo Cebu
Cebu Pacific Cebu, Clark, Iloilo, Manila
PAL Express Cebu, Iloilo, Manila
Philippine Airlines Manila

Statistics

Data from Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP).[1] No data for international passenger and cargo movements were provided by CAAP.

Year Passenger movements Aircraft movements Cargo movements (in kg)
Domestic % change Domestic International Total % change Domestic % change
2001 148,204 Steady 1,356 – 1,356 Steady 6,713,182 Steady
2002 129,945 Increase 12.32 1,224 – 1,224 Decrease 9.73 6,467,262 Decrease 3.66
2003 186,870 Increase 30.46 1,748 6 1,754 Increase 43.30 9,678,766 Increase 49.66
2004 151,048 Increase 19.17 1,476 4 1,480 Decrease 15.62 7,077,484 Decrease 26.88
2005 181,306 Increase 16.69 1,644 – 1,644 Increase 11.08 8,879,390 Increase 25.46
2006 208,367 Increase 12.99 1,826 – 1,826 Increase 11.07 10,387,561 Increase 16.99
2007 310,233 Increase 32.84 2,326 – 2,326 Increase 27.38 10,005,987 Decrease 3.67
2008 302,887 Decrease 2.37 2,348 – 2,348 Increase 0.95 8,943,108 Decrease 10.62
2009 404,859 Increase 25.19 1,898 – 1,898 Decrease 19.17 9,522,908 Increase 6.48
2010 477,535 Increase 15.22 2,858 – 2,858 Increase 50.58 11,917,366 Increase 25.14
2011 492,572 Increase 3.05 3,240 – 3,240 Increase 13.37 10,883,799 Decrease 8.67
2012 611,274 Increase 19.42 4,800 – 4,800 Increase 48.15 14,496,838 Increase 33.20
2013 688,673 Increase 11.24 5,660 – 5,660 Increase 17.92 16,384,066 Increase 13.02
2014 714,523 Increase 3.62 4,494 – 4,494 Decrease 20.60 18,567,263 Increase 13.33
2015 592,911 Decrease 17.10 5,286 – 5,286 Increase 17.62 21,741,310 Increase 17.09
2016 838,941 Increase 29.40 5,524 – 5,524 Increase 4.50 22,806,132 Increase 4.90
2017 816,037 Decrease 2.73 6,092 – 6,092 Increase 10.28 22,484,123 Decrease 1.41
2018 920,670 Increase 12.82 6,540 – 6,540 Increase 7.35 22,511,700 Increase 0.12
2019 1,049,842 Increase 14.03 6,886 – 6,886 Increase 5.29 22,999,261 Increase 2.17
2020 243,754 Decrease 76.78 3,696 – 3,696 Decrease 46.33 18,128,930 Decrease 21.18
2021 177,001 Decrease 27.39 2,675 – 2,675 Decrease 27.62 17,969,941 Decrease 0.88
2022 768,749 Increase 334.32 4,256 – 4,256 Increase 59.10 21,063,125 Increase 17.21

See also

Notes

References

  1. ^ a b "Aircraft, Passenger, and Cargo Movements". Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines. Retrieved October 21, 2022.
  2. ^ a b "Manila Standard - Google News Archive Search". News.google.com.
  3. ^ "General santos airport has worldclass airport". goliath.ecnext.com. Archived from the original on July 12, 2012. Retrieved February 2, 2022.
  4. Philippine Information Agency
    , retrieved August 5, 2010
  5. ^ "Bishop fears return of US bases to Philippines | ICN". Independent Catholic News. January 14, 2011.
  6. ^ "Elephants at war - INQUIRER.net, Philippine News for Filipinos". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Archived from the original on March 26, 2012. Retrieved May 5, 2011.
  7. ^ "'Acceptable presence' new US basing plan - INQUIRER.net, Philippine News for Filipinos". newsinfo.inquirer.net. Archived from the original on July 14, 2012. Retrieved February 2, 2022.
  8. ^ "Sun Journal - Google News Archive Search". News.google.com.
  9. ^ "The Daily Tribune <<< Without Fear or Favor >>>". Archived from the original on March 28, 2012. Retrieved September 27, 2011.
  10. ^ http://goliath.ecnext.com/coms2/gi_0199-3287281/GENERAL-SANTOS-TRADERS-BULLISH-ON.html [dead link]
  11. ^ "Cebu Pacific opens Manila-General Santos service for only P99". Cebu Pacific Air. August 29, 2006. Archived from the original on October 22, 2006. Retrieved October 21, 2022.
  12. ^ "TwitLonger — When you talk too much for Twitter". Twitlonger.com.
  13. ^ "Davao economy bleeds P5M a day as airport shutdown cripples trade". GMA News. GMA Network.
  14. ^ "P959M expansion project for GenSan airport to start this month". MindaNews. January 15, 2015.
  15. ^ a b "Gensan Airport To Get A Major Facelift". Gandaeversomuch.com. March 1, 2015.
  16. ^ "GenSan airport terminal expansion done in 2 years". Philippine News Agency. September 13, 2017. Retrieved October 21, 2022.
  17. ^ a b "Upgraded GenSan airport inaugurated". Manila Bulletin. September 23, 2021. Retrieved October 21, 2022.
  18. ^ "General Santos International Airport". Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines. Archived from the original on August 17, 2010. Retrieved August 5, 2010.
  19. ^ "Domestic Lounge". www.philippineairlines.com. Retrieved February 5, 2021.
  20. ^ Sarmiento, Bong S. (July 22, 2021). "After 25 years, plane passenger tube will be available at GenSan airport". MindaNews. Retrieved October 21, 2022.
  21. ^ Manansala, Avel (September 24, 2021). "Improved, Expanded Gensan Airport Inaugurated". GenSan News. Retrieved October 21, 2022.

External links

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