Francisco Bangoy International Airport Paliparang Pandaigdig ng Francisco Bangoy Tugpahanang Pangkalibutanon sa Francisco Bangoy
Inside the Davao International Airport terminal
IATA: DVO – ICAO: RPMD
Summary
Airport type		Public
Operator		Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines
Serves		Davao City
Location		Barangay Sasa, Buhangin, Davao City
Hub for		Cebu Pacific
Elevation AMSL		18 m / 59 ft
Coordinates		7°7′31.88″N 125°38′44.80″E / 7.1255222°N 125.645778°E / 7.1255222; 125.645778
Runways
Direction	Length		Surface
	m	ft
05/23	3,000	9,842	Asphalt concrete
Statistics (2008)
Passengers			1,692,877
Aircraft movements			16,194
Metric tonnes of cargo			53,302
Statistics from the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines.[1]

Francisco Bangoy International Airport (Filipino: Paliparang Pandaigdig ng Francisco Bangoy, Cebuano: Tugpahanang Pangkalibutanon sa Francisco Bangoy), also called Davao International Airport (IATA: DVO, ICAO: RPMD), is the main airport serving Davao City in the Philippines. It is the busiest airport in the Mindanao. The airport has a single 3,000-meter precision runway.

A new terminal replaces the previous airport terminals, which lie just across it, in handling both domestic and international flights operating to and from Davao. The modern facility is designed to handle approximately 1.2 million passengers and 84,600 tons of cargo annually. The added capacity is also complemented by the latest navigational, security, and baggage handling equipment.

The modernization and upgrading of the airport facilities aims to cement Davao as a hub for tourism and foreign investment in the region. Development was funded by a forty million-dollar loan from the Asian Development Bank, co-financed by the European Investment Bank for twenty-five million ECUs, and through budgetary allocations from the government. The total cost of the project amounted to $128 million.

After almost a decade, the new terminal was finally inaugurated on December 2, 2003. Initial construction began in 2000 while plans for construction were announced in 1992.

On November 12, 2007, Cebu Pacific announced this airport as its third hub.^[2]

Despite the fact that Davao International Airport is considered "international", it currently services only one international destination, Singapore. However, there are occasional charter flights to Davao from Manado by Wings Air. Cebu Pacific used to serve Davao-Hong Kong and Singapore, however these flights have been discontinued in 2009.^[3]

[edit] History

Francisco Bangoy International Airport began operations in the 1940s, with a donation of land in Barangay Sasa, located in the Buhangin district of Davao City, by Francisco Bangoy, the patriarch of an influential family residing in the city. At the time it began operation, the airport merely consisted of a 1,200-meter unpaved grass runway and quonset huts serving as terminal buildings. At the time, and throughout much of the 1940s and 1950s, both Philippine Airlines and the Philippine Air Force provided air service to the city.^[4]

By 1959, the complex consisted of a small control tower and several low-rise buildings. A new terminal, with a capacity of one million passengers, was constructed in the 1970s and the runway was progressively extended from its original length of 1,200 meters to its current 3,000 meters. Both projects were funded by then-Congressman Manuel Garcia, whose congressional district covers the airport perimeter.^[4]

Rapid growth at the airport precipitated the construction of a new, larger, terminal building. Planned since 1992, construction began in 2000 and subsequently inaugurated on December 2, 2003, with a capacity double that of the old airport terminal. The airport's construction was funded by both the Asian Development Bank and the European Investment Bank.

[edit] Structure

The airport's Air Traffic Control Tower is considered as most sophisticated in the Philippines

[edit] Terminal

The passenger terminal is a Malay architecture-inspired building which cost P1 billion and is four times larger than the old terminal. It is highly computerized, more secure and has more commercial spaces for concessionaries at approximately 9,000 sq. meter. It has four units of jet bridges (2 for domestic planes and 2 for international) for passengers. It has also a Flight Information Display System and Closed Circuit Television System complementing the terminal's security system. The terminal has 14 domestic and international counters that can handle a steady flow of passenger traffic. The Check-in counters are equipped with electronic weighing scales and conveyors and its baggage handling system is also computerized.

The Cargo Terminal Building covers almost 5,580 sq. meters and can handle up to 84,600 tons a year. ^[5]

The airport's check in counters view from the 2nd floor of Davao Innternational Airport.

[edit] Runway

The airport has a single 3,000 meter long runway that can handle wide-bodied aircraft such as Airbus A330, Airbus A340 , Boeing 747 and even Airbus A380. The installation of a new landing instrumentation system (ILS) for both Runways 05 and 23 upgraded its compliance to International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) operating category-Precision Approach Category 1. It can accommodate 8-10 aircraft landings per hour, depending on size and has the equivalent 8 gate holding areas for those aircraft. ^[5]

[edit] Other Structure

Besides the main terminal building, there are also new support facilities like the Administration Building, Airfield Maintenance Building, Central Plant Building, Hangar for Military and Training aircrafts and Fire/Crash/Rescue Building. It has a 688-slot car parking area and 4 slots for shuttle buses. It has a 3-megawatt standby power generator. The Air Traffic Control tower is considered as the most advanced in the Philippines.^[5] There are also 2 Mabuhay lounges of Philippine Airlines inside the airport premises.

[edit] Airlines and destinations

[edit] Domestic

Philippine Airlines Airbus A330-301 on the tarmac.

PAL Express Bombardier Dash 8 on the tarmac.

Zest Airways Modern Ark 60 (MA60) on the tarmac.

[edit] International

Notes

• Note 1: Although most of SilkAir's flights to Singapore stops in Cebu, SilkAir has no rights to transport passengers between Davao and Cebu.

[edit] Accidents and Incidents

• On April 19, 2000, Air Philippines Flight 541, a Boeing 737-200 en route from Manila to Davao crashed near the airport killing 131 people.^[6][7]

• On March 4, 2003, a bomb exploded in the waiting shed outside the old terminal building, killing 21 people. At least 145 others were injured when the bomb went off.^[8]

• On the night of August 25, 2008, a Philippine Air Force, C-130 Hercules crashed into Davao Gulf shortly after take off from Davao International Airport. The aircraft sank 800 ft. into the gulf. After several days of a search-and-retrieval operation, the heavy transport aircraft was found with the help of a US Naval Ship. The incident killed all crew on board including 2 Philippine Army soldiers.

[edit] See also

• List of airports in the Philippines

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• World Aero Data - Francisco Bangoy International Airport (DVO) Details
• What's On & Expat Magazine, June 18, 2006 - Upgraded Davao City International Airport Is Ready for More Passengers and Bigger Aircraft
• Current weather for RPMD at NOAA/NWS
• Airport information for RPMD at World Aero Data. Data current as of October 2006.. Source: DAFIF.
• Airport information for DVO / RPMD at Great Circle Mapper. Source: DAFIF (effective Oct. 2006).
• Accident history for DVO / RPMD at Aviation Safety Network

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