Following the partial completion of critical runway repair works that temporarily restricted take-offs and landings for about three months, Cotabato Awang Airport is now welcoming once again passengers and commercial flights of Philippine Airlines and Cebu Pacific as the airport resumes flight operation today, October 1, 2023, Sunday.
Simultaneously with the resumption of flight operations is the temporary use of the Passenger Terminal Building (PTB) to hold as a venue for the ceremony launched by the Ministry of Transporation and Communications (MOTC-BARMM) and to accommodate the first influx of passengers for domestic flights on today’s schedule.
The PTB building, however, is in ongoing construction status and is still to be turned over by the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) once finished.
Meanwhile, a simple program commenced at 8:30 to highlight the milestone of revitalizing the airport as one of the ingress and egress of people and goods.
In his message, Minister Atty. Paisalin P. Tago was greatly elated that finally, these were all answered prayers as he and his executives suffered enormously from deviating route to Davao, General Santos, and Cagayan De Oro to take flights to attend national undertakings. Their continuous negotiations and follow-ups bore fruit, as it is now operational.
He then thanked the Members of the Parliament in attendance, Local Government Leaders, Stakeholders, PNP Aviation Security Group, the Bangsamoro Airport Authority (BAA) and Civil Aeronautics Board of the Bangsamoro (CABB), passengers in the pre-departure area, and his MOTC family.
The first to land at Cotabato Airport was a Commercial Flight from Cebu Pacific that landed at 9:am.