Godofredo P. Ramos Airport (Filipino

Filipino language

This move has drawn much criticism from other regional groups.In 1987, a new constitution introduced many provisions for the language.Article XIV, Section 6, omits any mention of Tagalog as the basis for Filipino, and states that:...

: Paliparang Godofredo P. Ramos, Aklanon: Paeuparan it Godofredo P. Ramos, Hiligaynon

Hiligaynon language

Hiligaynon, often referred to as Ilonggo, is an Austronesian language spoken in the Western Visayas region of the Philippines.Hiligaynon is concentrated in the provinces of Iloilo, Negros Occidental and Capiz but is also spoken in the other provinces of the Panay Island group, including Antique,...

: Hulugpaan sang Godofredo P. Ramos) , also known as Caticlan Airport, is an airport

Airport

An airport is a location where aircraft such as fixed-wing aircraft, helicopters, and blimps take off and land. Aircraft may be stored or maintained at an airport...

 serving the general area of the town of Malay

Malay, Aklan

The Municipality of Malay is a first class municipality in the province of Aklan, Philippines. According to the 2007 census, it has a population of 32,110 people in 4,747 households....

, located in the province of Aklan

Aklan

Aklan is a province of the Philippines located in the Western Visayas. Its capital is Kalibo. It is located at the northwest portion of Panay Island, bordering Antique Province to the southwest, and Capiz Province to the east...

 in the Philippines

Philippines

The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...

. It is one of the two gateways to Boracay

Boracay

Boracay is an island of the Philippines located approximately south of Manila and 2 km off the northwest tip of Panay Island in the Western Visayas region of the Philippines. Boracay Island and its beaches have received awards numerous times. Boracay was awarded in the "Travelers' Choice...

, one of the Philippines' best-known tourist destinations. The airport is classified as a Class 2 Principal airport by the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines.

The airport is the seventh busiest airport in the Philippines and the third-busiest in the Western Visayas

Western Visayas

Western Visayas, one of the regions of the Philippines, is designated as Region VI. It consists of six provinces; Aklan, Antique, Negros Occidental, Capiz, Guimaras and Iloilo and 16 cities making it the region with the highest number of cities. Iloilo City is the regional center...

 region, serving 761,961 passengers in 2008. It is also a hub

Airline hub

An airline hub is an airport that an airline uses as a transfer point to get passengers to their intended destination. It is part of a hub and spoke model, where travelers moving between airports not served by direct flights change planes en route to their destinations...

 for South East Asian Airlines

South East Asian Airlines

Southeast Asian Airlines , Inc. operating as SEAir is an airline based in Pampanga, the Philippines. It operates domestic services and its main base is Ninoy Aquino International Airport, Manila, with hubs at Godofredo P. Ramos Airport, Malay, Aklan.- History :The airline was established in 1995...

, with SEAIR serving the most destinations out of and having the most flights to and from Malay.

Since November 8, 2002, the airport has been named after the late Godofredo P. Ramos, a former member of Congress

Congress of the Philippines

The Congress of the Philippines is the national legislature of the Republic of the Philippines. It is a bicameral body consisting of the Senate , and the House of Representatives although commonly in the Philippines the term congress refers to the latter.The Senate is composed of 24 senators half...

 and a native of Malay. However, the name Caticlan Airport takes its name from its location on Barangay Caticlan in the same town.

Future development

The National Economic and Development Authority has approved the expansion of Godofredo P. Ramos Airport, which will be undertaken by a private company called the Caticlan International Airport and Development Corporation. The P2.5-billion expansion of the airport entails two stages: the construction of a new passenger terminal in the first stage, costing some P2.1 billion, and the extension of the existing runway to 2,100 meters as well as upgrading airport equipment and the existing apron, costing some P360 million.

Solicited as a Build-Operate-Transfer

Build-Operate-Transfer

Build-own-operate-transfer or build-operate-transfer is a form of project financing, wherein a private entity receives a concession from the private or public sector to finance, design, construct, and operate a facility stated in the concession contract...

 project and financed by a 70-30 mixture of bank loan and private sector equity, around 25 percent of the allocated funds would be used to clear a mountain near the airport's proximity, while an additional 18 percent would be allocated for land reclamation to accommodate an extended runway.

The upgrading works would enable the airport not only to support jet aircraft but also to serve international destinations. Barring any hitches, both phases of the expansion would be complete by as early as 2011. Other estimates place it between 2012 and 2014.

Recent Incidents and Accidents

• On 19 July 2005, Interisland Airlines aircraft RP-C2803, an arriving Yakovlev 40A aircraft touched down short of runway 06. A tire burst as it struck the raised lip of the runway. When removing the airplane from the runway the undercarriage collapsed, causing substantial damage to the aircraft. The aircraft was occupied by 3 crew and 20 passengers. There were no fatalities.
• On 2 November 2006, Interisland Airlines aircraft RP-C2695, a Yakovlev 40A aircraft, arrived to pick up a group of tourists. On landing at runway 06, the left main gear tire burst. The aircraft started to swerve to the left, towards the apron were a DHC-7
  De Havilland Canada Dash 7
  The de Havilland Canada DHC-7, popularly known as the Dash 7, is a turboprop-powered regional airliner with STOL capabilities. It first flew in 1975 and remained in production until 1988 when the parent company, de Havilland Canada, was purchased by Boeing and was later sold to Bombardier...
  
   had just started engines. The crew avoided collision with the DHC-7. After passing the apron, the Yak-40 drifted sideways entering the grass on the left side of the runway. Because of lateral forces, the right main gear collapsed. The aircraft came to rest on the edge of the runway. After three hours the airplane was towed off the runway into the grass. On arrival, the aircraft had no passengers. There were no fatalities.
• On 11 January 2009, Zest Airways Flight 865, a Xian MA60 with 22 passengers three crew aboard, undershot runway 06 when it landed, swerved sharply to the left when it touched the runway after the initial impact and hit a concrete barrier seriously damaging its nose. The plane's landing gears and propellers also suffered major damage. Three people were injured. There were no fatalities.
• On June 25, 2009, Zest Airways Flight 863, a Xian MA60
  Xian MA60
  |-See also:-References:* Jackson, Paul. Jane's All The World's Aircraft 2003–2004. Coulsdon, UK: Jane's Information Group, 2003. ISBN 0-7106-2537-5.-External links:* * *...
  
   with 54 passengers and five crew aboard, overshot the runway when it landed at Godofredo P. Ramos Airport. The said aircraft totally lost its braking capability causing it to overshoot Runway 24. There were no injuries.

Airlines and destinations