The infrastructure arm of the Aboitiz Group, Aboitiz InfraCapital Inc. (AIC), expressed optimism that its regional airport projects will kick-off by the end of the year.

Lagundingan Airport serves the cities of Cagayan de Oro and Iligan, as well as Misamis Oriental, Lanao del Norte and Bukidnon in Northern Mindanao

In a statement, AIC chief operating officer Cosette Canilao said the company’s independent unsolicited proposals for the upgrade, operations, maintenance and expansion of the Bohol-Panglao International Airport as well as the Laguindingan Airport in Misamis Oriental are on track.

“We were granted original proponent status (OPS) by the Department of Transportation (DoTr) for the Bohol-Panglao on 3 September 2018. We are hopeful that the government will allow us to operate these two regional gateways this year,” AIC chief operating officer Cosette Canilao said in a statement.

Following their submission of the original unsolicited proposal for the Laguindingan Aiport project on 10 August last year, Canilao also said that they have clarified some queries with the DoTr. They have also clarified that it was not a revised offer but a response to DoTr’s request for additional information.

AIC has also tapped design and engineering firm Arup as consultant for the technical studies and masterplan of the P42.7-billion Laguindingan Airport.

The international firm Arup has also been in collaboration with different government agencies for various infrastructure projects such as the Mactan-Cebu International Airport Terminal 2.

Lagundingan Airport serves the cities of Cagayan de Oro and Iligan, as well as Misamis Oriental, Lanao del Norte and Bukidnon in Northern Mindanao.

AIC is also a part of the NAIA Consortium, which the Manila International Aiport Authority has granted OPS on 10 September last year to rehabilitate, operate and expand the Ninoy Aquino International Airport.

“We are hopeful that the government will grant the consortium the notice to proceed this 2019 so that we can commence the expansion of NAIA to accommodate 65 million passengers per year,” NAIA consortium spokesman Jimbo Reverente said in the same statement.

Currently, the NAIA has an annual capacity of about 30 million passengers.

The government has previously announced its bid to connect at least 85 national airports to support connectivity and boost tourism.

According to the Aboitiz Group, it has refocused its strategy in line with the country’s infrastructure priorities, water and transport projects, to support the government’s flagship infrastructure program “Build, Build, Build,” and as part of its commitment to “advance the lives of Filipinos via structure development.”