Sipalay airport (San Jose airstrip) will see its first scheduled operations with Air Juan Aviation (AO, Manila Ninoy Aquino International) set to launch 2x weekly flights to Cebu and Iloilo on August 2, the airline has informed ch-aviation. Flights will be aboard Cessna (single turboprop) Grand Caravan EX aircraft, and connecting flights will be available onwards to Del Carmen (Siargao) and Palanan.
"This is a very welcome development as this would definitely boost the tourism industry of Sipalay City and the entire Chicks area. We have been waiting for this as this will surely attract more tourists," Sipalay mayor Oscar Montilla told news site Sun Star.
Situated in Negros Occidental in the Negros Island Region of the Philippines, Sipalay is a popular tourist destination with white sandy beaches and good diving opportunities.
Sipalay City was granted a permit in November 2016 by the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) to operate the airstrip, pending upgrades to the runway and signposting. The airstrip previously served a mining operation in the area. The city has signalled its intention to help finance the construction of a fully functioning airport, which is currently authorised for daytime operations only, with a maximum aircraft size of ten passengers/5,700 kilograms.
"Sipalay Airport is perfect for our aircraft since our fleet has capability for short runways," an Air Juan spokesperson said.
Air Juan is a domestic carrier offering land and sea plane connections between smaller Philippine destinations.
