MANILA, Philippines – The construction firm building the new Antique Airport promised to finish the airport by its target date in the 3rd quarter of 2020.

According to Albay-based Verzontal Infrastructure Corporation (VIC), the P283-million project aims to connect Antique’s capital of San Jose de Buenavista with neighboring cities.

VIC won the bid for the Antique Airport Development Project in November 2018.

“Together with the Department of Transportation (DOTr), Antique Airport will be one of the newest green airports present in the region, following Mactan Airport in Cebu,” VIC vice chairman and chief executive officer Bede Gomez said in a statement.

The DOTr earlier asked the firm to speed up the project after its progress was marked at 12% last August. Construction began in December 2018. (READ: DOTr wants faster Antique Airport development)

The redeveloped airport will have the following features:

• new passenger terminal building
• apron or parking, unloading, loading, and refueling area
• taxiway
• fire station building
• power house
• administration building
• perimeter and security fence
• vehicle parking area
• staff house

VIC said it expects the new airport to generate economic activity in Antique.

“It (the province) will see an increase of capacity of the airport passenger terminal,” added the company.

The redeveloped airport will be able to accommodate 86-passenger planes and a consistent thrice-weekly flight schedule.

The runway will also be extended from 1,430 meters to 1,800 meters. – Rappler.com