The Bukidnon Airport will be completed by December 2027, with the terminal building and a turboprop-capable runway finishing first, ending decades of reliance on the three-hour overland trip from Cagayan de Oro for residents of Bukidnon, Cotabato, and neighboring provinces, Transportation Secretary Giovanni “Banoy” Lopez said Saturday.
Lopez made the disclosure in an interview on DZRH News program Special on Saturday on August 29, as part of the DZRH SONA 2026 Series featuring the Department of Transportation (DOTr).
He said the airport was long planned but will now become operational under the Marcos administration, following a direct instruction from President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to accelerate its completion.
“Based on our assessment, by December of 2027, matatapos na po yung terminal natin. Matatapos na po yung runway natin insofar as turboprop is concerned. Pero ang kagustuhan nga din po natin ay dapat ito’y maging 2,100 meters upang sa ganun, for commercial operations, mas malalaking mga eroplano ang ating magagamit pagdating sa Bukidnon,” Lopez said.
He said Lopez himself conducted the proving flight for the airport, describing how the terminal’s facade features a pineapple design reflecting Bukidnon’s identity as one of the country’s top pineapple-producing provinces.
A creek crossing the planned runway area required the installation of a box culvert, a drainage structure, which caused some delay but is being resolved, with the extended 2,100-meter runway targeted for completion shortly after the airport’s initial opening.
CAAP Deputy Director General Danjun Lucas said the Bukidnon Airport follows the same modular terminal building approach being applied at Busuanga Airport in Coron, a faster and more cost-effective construction method that delivers a functional, quality facility in less time than traditional construction.
Lopez said the airport will significantly cut travel time for residents of Bukidnon and Cotabato who currently have no choice but to drive to Cagayan de Oro or Davao to access air travel.
