Aboitiz InfraCapital on track to take over 2 regional airports’ operations in 2019

Aboitiz InfraCapital Inc. (AIC) on Tuesday said it is on track to take over the operations of two regional airports this year in line with its unsolicited proposals.

The company proposed to upgrade, operate, maintain, and expand the Bohol-Panglao International Airport and the Laguindingan Airport in Misamis Oriental, AIC chief operating officer Cosette Canilao said.

“We are hopeful that the government will allow us to operate these two regional gateways this year,” she said in a statement.

AIC submitted last year a proposal to take over the New Bohol International Airport.

“We were granted original proponent status (OPS) by the Department of Transportation (DOTr) for the Bohol-Panglao on September 3, 2018,” Canilao said.

AIC also submitted a P42.7-billion unsolicited proposal to take over the Laguindingan Airport.

Aboitiz InfraCapital is part of the NAIA Consortium, which also bagged the original proponent status for the P105-billion project to take over the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA).

“We are hopeful that the government will grant the consortium the notice to proceed this 2019 so that we can commence the expansion of NAIA to accommodate 65 million passengers per year,” NAIA Consortium spokesperson Jimbo Reverente said. —Jon Viktor Cabuenas/VDS, GMA News