BAGUIO CITY (PIA) -- Loakan Airport is finally is open for commercial flights.

The City of Baguio welcomed the first passengers from the inaugural flight of the flag carrier Philippine Airlines from Cebu to the City of Pines on Friday, December 16.

Baguio Mayor Benjamin Magalong with executives from the Baguio Tourism Council led by Gladys Vergara and other stakeholders from the tourism and business sector welcomed the passengers of the inaugural flight led by Cebu City Mayor Atty. Michael Rama, Department of Tourism Undersecretary Mae Elaine Bathan, with PAL executives.

 PAL PR C5903 took off from Mactan Cebu International Airport at 8:50AM with 84 passengers and arrived in Baguio City at 10:29AM. The same airplane transported 70 individuals on its return flight to Mactan at 11:10 AM.

PAL Chief Operations Officer Capt. Stanley Ng said the landing of the first ever Cebu-Baguio flight at the Loakan Airport is a historic moment in the Philippine history as it officially marked the reopening of commercial flights in Baguio City.  

PAL used to serve the air travel service of Baguio to Metro Manila for several decades from 1941 to 1990 before it halted servicing the route.

The Dec. 16, 2022 inaugural flight marks the first direct flight from Baguio to the Visayas. It connects travelers from Baguio to the cities and over the country via PAL’s route network from its Cebu Hub gateway.

 Department of Transportation Secretary Jaime Bautista congratulated the officials and employees of PAL “for their determined efforts to spread their wings once again after the pandemic.” He said that this development is also expected to bring in healthy competition by providing a similar air service for a domestic and international flights in Baguio.

 “I hope to see more PAL inaugural flights. I’m glad the Heart of the Filipino has again landed in Baguio City,” Bautista said in a message delivered by Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) Director General Manuel Antonio Tamayo.

"Finally as it is written, it shall be done and it will be a continuing activity," Mayor Rama in his message. With the flights now connecting the Cordillera region to the Visayas, he invited the Cordillera people to join the 2023 Sinulog festival set on January 15, 2023.

Magalong lauded the efforts of the different stakeholders in working together to open the flights in Loakan Airport after 30 years. "Finally, we are here and finally Loakan is open for commercial flights to help us in our economic recovery in terms of tourist arrival," he said.