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Elijah Felice Rosales - The Philippine Star
June 12, 2026 | 12:00am
Laguindingan Airport is an international gateway in Northern Mindanao that serves the cities of Cagayan de Oro, Iligan and Marawi, as well as the provinces of Misamis Oriental, Lanao del Norte and Bukidnon.
STAR / File
MANILA, Philippines — The newest airports added to the Aboitiz Group’s portfolio are showing early signs of growth, as they turned in a domestic passenger volume of more than one million in the first quarter.
Aboitiz InfraCapital Inc. (AIC) yesterday said their airports in Bohol and Misamis Oriental have turned in a domestic passenger count of 1.02 million between January and March.
The Laguindingan International Airport (LIA) recorded a passenger traffic of 616,661, while the Bohol-Panglao International Airport (BPIA) had at least 412,000.
AIC vice president and head of airports Rafael Aboitiz said LIA is gaining from rising demand for flights to Northern Mindanao. AIC views LIA as one of its biggest investments in Mindanao, as the airport leads to highly urbanized cities, particularly Cagayan de Oro and Iligan.
BPIA, on the other hand, managed to receive over 400,000 passengers prior to the peak season. BPIA connects passengers to Bohol, which is a popular getaway during the dry season.
As such, Aboitiz committed to improve the amenities and services in LIA and BPIA in line with its concession to rehabilitate both of the airports.
“Domestic travel continues to be a strong driver of growth for Aboitiz InfraCapital’s airports, as well as in communities where we are located,” Aboitiz said.
“The sustained demand that we are seeing at both Laguindingan and Bohol-Panglao International Airports reflects the enduring value of regional connectivity and also the growing confidence of our travelers exploring opportunities, destinations and experiences across the country,” he added.
BPIA, for its part, is being eyed for direct flights to Japan. Recently, the airport has welcomed its first chartered flight from Narita operated by low-cost carrier Cebu Pacific.
AIC wants to maximize the latest upgrade to the International Civil Aviation Organization rating of BPIA in expanding its flight reach abroad. The airport was granted approval to land widebody aircraft, which foreign airlines use for international flights for cost efficiency.
Apart from this, the provincial government of Bohol is looking at the opportunity of hopping on the visa-free entry program for Chinese tourists of the Department of Foreign Affairs.
