Subic Bay International Airport pasigla na nang pasigla – SBMA chief Wilma Eisma
Nitong mga nakalipas na buwan, simula noong Hulyo, ay pasigla nang pasigla ang operasyon ng Subic Bay International Airport (SBIA) sa Subic Bay Freeport.
Sinabi ni Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) Chair and Administrator Wilma Eisma, mistulang nabigyan ng panibagong buhay ang SBIA simula nang magamit ito bilang ‘alternate port of enrty’ sa OFW Repatriation Program ng gobyerno.
“In the 3rd quarter this year alone, the OFW flights had provided the Subic airport P1.6 million in direct income, as well as P218.7 million in income for Subic hotels. But aside from the impact on revenue, we’re proving here that Subic can be a global gateway and that’s what’s more important from a strategic point of view,” sabi ni Eisma.
Ibinahagi niya na nagpapatuloy ang rehabilitation program para sa SBIA na sinimulan nila may tatlong taon na ang nakakalipas, kasama na ang upgrading ng kanilang mga pasilidad.
Kabilang sa ‘upgrades’ ay ang bagong Doppler very high frequency omnidirectional range distance measuring equipment (DVOR/DME), ang automated weathetr observation system (AWOS), area navigation approach (RNAV) at bagong air-groundn communication system para sa air traffic control.
Sinabi pa ni Eisma na bumaba ng 60 porsiyento ang kanilang air passenger traffic at bumagsak naman ng 66 porsiyento ang kita ng SBIA dahil sa pandemya.
Ngunit ngayon 3rd quarter ng taon, ang kanilang aircraft movement ay 17,756 o tumaas ng 25 porsiyento kumpara sa naitala sa katulad na panahon noong 2020.
“The increase in international passenger movement by 4,134 percent was attributed to the repatriation of OFWs and returning overseas Filipinos,” sabi naman ni SBIA senior deputy administrator for operations Ronnie Yambao.
Aniya nakapagtala sila ng P62.15 million actual revenue mula Hulyo hanggang Setyembre at nahigitan nila ang kanilang target na P49.52 million.
Sa bahagi naman ni SBMA airport manager Zharrex Santos, sa ilalim ng OFW program, umabot sa 9,159 international passengers ang dumaan sa SBIA, kasama na dito ang siyam na foreign pssengers.
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