Fix Loakan Airport issues, says Baguio council

BAGUIO CITY — With the Loakan Airport operations now in full swing, the members of the Baguio City Council are urging the management of the airport to fix issues arising from regular airport operations.

In a resolution, the councilors said the so-called Task Force Skyline was created to effectively and efficiently address issues and concerns of all affected stakeholders on the re-opening of the Loakan airport to commercial flights.

The task force is composed of the barangay councils, Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines Philippine Air Force Tactical Operations Group, private and public transport groups and other volunteers.

Purok leaders, as well as barangay officials of Loakan Proper, Loakan, Apugan, Lokakan Liwanag and Atok Trail — the areas around the airport — earlier appealed to the City Council that concerned government agencies and the local government should resolve hanging issues and concerns of the residents on the alleged demolition of structures that had been identified to be obstructions, the passage of people on the runway when there are no incoming and outgoing flights, the construction of the long overdue access roads among others.

Under Resolution 624, series of 2022, the council tasked the City Engineering Office in coordination with the CAAP, the Department of Public Works and Highways, the land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board and the surrounding barangays, to identify or propose an alternate route, the possibility of having an underground road network, or an additional transport route or new franchise route within Loakan barangay and to submit a report to the council within 15 days upon approval of the resolution.