Apeco eyes yearend operations for Casiguran Airport, eyes Charter Flights by 2026

The Aurora Pacific Economic Zone and Freeport Authority (Apeco) is targeting the operational launch of Casiguran Airport before the end of 2025, with plans to offer charter flights to investors and other stakeholders by early 2026.

Apeco Deputy Administrator Angelo Mantuano said in a statement that the facility is currently capable of accommodating turboprop aircraft but still requires a permit to operate (PTO) from the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP), even for chartered operations.

“The airport is already capable to service turboprop airplanes. Under civil aviation rules, we need a permit to operate, even for chartered flights,” Mantuano said.

He noted that the agency is addressing the findings from a February CAAP audit and expects to complete the necessary corrections by October, in time for CAAP to issue the PTO.

Designed initially to handle chartered flights for investors, the airport is envisioned to evolve into an international gateway. “Our end goal is to make it an international airport, a Category 4 which can attract aircraft like A320s, the minimum class for regional flights going to Korea and Japan,” Mantuano added.

Apeco President and CEO Gil Taway IV said the project is progressing in phases. Phase 1 will establish air navigation services, followed by Phase 2 for night operations, Phase 3 to accommodate A320 aircraft, and Phase 4 for full international status.

To support this transformation, Apeco acquired an additional 12 hectares of land in June from the Chua Cham family to expand the current 1.32-kilometer airstrip into a full commercial airport.

The airport project is part of a broader master development plan, which is scheduled for board approval this month. The blueprint includes infrastructure for defense and envisions a “business district by the beach” that offers services for industries such as meetings, incentives, conferences, and exhibitions (MICE).

Taway said the zone’s proximity to the Indo-Pacific Corridor and the Sierra Madre mountain range gives it natural strategic advantages, making it accessible to the US Pacific Fleet in Guam and Honolulu.

“We want to not only attract people to go there, but to stay there,” Mantuano said, describing the vision of Apeco as a walkable city with interconnected districts designed to support a range of business and lifestyle functions.