Camotes Airport awaits CAAP clearance for pilot training operations

LAPU-LAPU CITY, Cebu — The Camotes Airport has yet to open for regular touch-and-go flight training as the Cebu Provincial Government awaits approval from the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP).

Cebu Provincial Administrator Ace Durano said the airport was permitted to host a touch-and-go exercise on July 7, 2026.

However, he clarified that the activity was only authorized as a one-day test while safety requirements are still being completed.

READ: Camotes Airport project gets P120M for terminal building – Frasco

A touch-and-go landing is a flight training maneuver in which an aircraft lands on a runway before immediately accelerating for takeoff without making a full stop, allowing pilots to repeatedly practice landings and departures.

Permit still pending

Durano said the airport cannot formally accept regular training flights until CAAP grants the necessary approval for touch-and-go operations.

READ: P265M budget for Camotes Airport secured

“It was for testing just for one day,” Durano said. “It’s a safety issue. The runway just needs to comply with safety requirements.”

He added that several improvements are still being completed at the airport before it can fully operate as a flight training facility, including the completion of the passenger terminal.

READ: Northern Cebu airport: PB seeks feasibility study for proposed project

Planned as a training hub

Durano said the Mactan-Cebu International Airport Authority (MCIAA) intends to develop the Camotes Airport primarily for flight training, while the Bantayan Airport is being positioned for future commercial operations.

He shared that Camotes was selected because of its proximity to the Mactan-Cebu International Airport (MCIA), making it a practical alternative for aviation schools.

READ: The hidden gems of Camotes: An island adventure

“Kailangan na gyud na mabalhin ang mga training schools tungod kay ang [MCIA] runway nagkabusy siya sa commercial flights. Ang window for training flights kay nagkagamay,” Durano said.

(The training schools really need to be relocated because the [MCIA] runway has become busier with commercial flights. The available window for training flights is getting smaller.)

Durano said the growing number of student pilots has increased the need for another dedicated training airport in Cebu.

He explained that aviation schools currently share the MCIA runway with commercial aircraft, making training schedules more difficult as passenger air traffic continues to increase.

No commercial flights yet

Meanwhile, Durano said Camotes Island has not yet generated enough demand to attract regular commercial airline services.

He said airlines usually assess the availability of three-star to five-star hotels and other tourism-related establishments before deciding to open routes.

“Ilang gihuwat pila kabuok ang manganha anang lugara maka-afford og ticket sa eroplano (They are waiting to see how many people in that area can afford to buy plane tickets),” Durano said.

Airport project

The Camotes Airport is being built in the town of San Francisco and is expected to improve tourism, connectivity, and economic activity across the island municipalities.

Construction officially began on December 10, 2024, during the administration of former Cebu Governor Gwendolyn Garcia.

The airport project traces its funding to 2021, when Fifth District Rep. Duke Frasco secured an initial P265 million allocation from the national government for the runway.

The funding was released by the Department of Budget and Management to the Department of Transportation.

Your subscription could not be saved. Please try again.

Your subscription has been successful.

Read Next

Disclaimer: The comments uploaded on this site do not necessarily represent or reflect the views of management and owner of Cebudailynews. We reserve the right to exclude comments that we deem to be inconsistent with our editorial standards.