SUBIC BAY FREEPORT—Billionaire businessman Lucio Tan is setting his sights on Subic Bay, arriving here over the weekend for an ocular inspection of the Subic Bay International Airport (SBIA).
Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) Chairman and Administrator Wilma T. Eisma, who welcomed the mogul at the tarmac last Sunday, said the chairman and CEO of Philippine Airlines (PAL), is looking into the establishment here of a flying school under his flagship airlines brand.
Tan, with several aides, closely inspected the SBIA passenger terminal and reportedly asked for areas that could possibly be used for restaurants or passenger lounges.
Eisma, meanwhile, briefed him of the design and purpose of the terminal and pointed out it used to accommodate local and international flights.
A rolling tour of the Freeport later brought Tan and his team to the Alava Wharf, where cruise ships are set to make port calls on a regular basis this year, as well as to the residential areas in Cubi, the district near the Subic airport.
Eisma said throughout the visit, Tan kept inquiring about the state of facilities at the airport terminal, as well as other business potentials and tourism facilities that would complement an aviation-related trade.
The business magnate also asked if there were enough hotels that could accommodate the possible influx of airline passengers in Subic.
“He was all smiles since the moment he landed at the SBIA onboard his helicopter,” Eisma recalled. “The SBMA technical working group made a presentation showing the full potential of the Subic airport and I believe he was very much impressed.”
The SBIA, which was completed in 1996 in time for Subic’s hosting of the Apec summit, boasts of a 10,000-square-meter passenger terminal that has two gates, two jet ways, a closed-circuit television system and a 9,000-foot runway.
Eisma said while the SBIA equipment are not being fully utilized, they all work properly because the agency has been keeping them in tip-top shape.
The Subic airport also has a military ramp at the southwest area, which is used by US Air Force planes under the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement between the Philippines and the United States. Meanwhile, its midway ramp is being utilized by a flight school here for aircraft parking.
Early this month, leaders of the Hong Kong-based Asian Business Aviation Association said in a forum here the SBIA could be developed as a business and general aviation airport to help increase people mobility, as well as boost business operations in the region.
Eisma said the agency is now aggressively promoting Subic as an aviation hub and is entertaining all possible options to maximize the use of its airport facilities.
“It is a challenge to us to get SBIA running. We’re all for these suggestions to turn Subic into an aviation hub that would cater to tourists, as well as traders, because that would mean more business for the Freeport,” she added.