Aboitiz InfraCapital, Inc. (AIC), the infrastructure arm of the Aboitiz Group, has upgraded most of the runway surfaces at Laguindingan International Airport (LIA), enhancing overall infrastructure quality and improving passenger travel experience by supporting safer and more reliable flight operations.
The regular rehabilitation works, which include runway repainting, inspection activities, rubber removal, and crack repair, are focused on maintaining optimal runway surface conditions at the country’s seventh-busiest gateway and Mindanao’s second-busiest airport.
“As the operator of Laguindingan International Airport, we take a proactive approach to maintaining and improving critical airside infrastructure. These runway enhancements reflect our ongoing responsibility to ensure that the airport remains capable of supporting current operations while preparing for future demand,” said AIC Vice President and Head of Airports Rafael M. Aboitiz.
The maintenance works were carried out in coordination with aviation authorities to ensure that activities align with national safety and operational standards while minimizing disruption to airport operations.
“Sustaining airport infrastructure is an ongoing process that relies on cooperation between regulators and airport operators. Continued coordination across stakeholders helps ensure that facilities like Laguindingan International Airport remain well-maintained and capable of supporting the region’s growing connectivity needs,” said Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) Director-General Lieutenant-General Raul L. Del Rosario, AFP (Ret.).
For passengers, these technical improvements at LIA translate into smoother and safer takeoffs and landings, as well as more reliable airport services.
The runway upgrades form part of AIC Airports’ broader efforts to strengthen airport infrastructure across its growing network of gateways in the Philippines.
Within this network, LIA plays a key role as a service hub supporting business activity, tourism, and logistics access to Northern Mindanao.
Enhancing the airport’s operational reliability helps ensure the region remains well connected to major domestic destinations while facilitating the movement of people and goods.
Alongside LIA, AIC Airports also operates and develops Mactan-Cebu International Airport (MCIA), positioned as a major connectivity hub for tourism and regional travel, and Bohol-Panglao International Airport (BPIA), the primary gateway to Bohol’s globally recognized natural and cultural destinations, including its UNESCO Global Geopark sites.
AIC Airports is currently undertaking the development and modernization of LIA and BPIA over the short- to medium-term beginning 2025, through a broader transformation under the multi-year concession agreements awarded by the government in 2024.
