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Sangley Point Airport Paliparan ng Punta Sangley Aeropuerto de Punta Sangley
Aerial view in 2022.
IATA: SGL ICAO: RPLS
Summary
Airport type	Public / Military
Owner/Operator	Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines
Serves	Greater Manila Area
Location	Sangley Point, Cavite City, Cavite, Philippines
Opened	February 15, 2020; 4 years ago (2020-02-15)
Built	March 20, 1945; 79 years ago (1945-03-20)
Elevation AMSL	8 ft / 2 m
Coordinates	14°29′28.74″N 120°53′37.99″E / 14.4913167°N 120.8938861°E / 14.4913167; 120.8938861
Map
SGL/RPLSShow map of LuzonSGL/RPLSShow map of Philippines
Runways
Direction Length Surface ft m 07/25 7,769 2,367 Asphalt
Statistics (2019)
Passengers None

Sangley Point Airport (IATA: SGL, ICAO: RPLS), also referred to as Cavite Airport, is a domestic airport at Sangley Point, Cavite City in the Philippines primarily serving general aviation and turbo-propped airliners in the general vicinity of South Luzon and the Greater Manila Area.

Currently a domestic airport, it will be later upgraded to an international airport adjacent to Danilo Atienza Air Base and will be served with either P2P buses or a ferry from SM Mall of Asia. It is the fourth commercial airport to serve the Greater Manila Area, complementing and helping to decongest its neighboring Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA).

History

Early proposals

In 2013, the All-Asia Resources and Reclamation Corporation (ARRC) — a venture headed by tycoon Henry Sy — commissioned Danish construction firm Rambøll Group A.S. to conduct a feasibility study for the reclamation of 50 hectares off Sangley Point and the development of an airport with two runways and a terminal capable of handling 50 million passengers annually in place of the current air base. This was part of the so-called "Philippines Global Gateway" project proposed by the ARRC to the Philippine government in February 2016. The entire ARRC project involves the construction of an airport and seaport facility, as well as an industrial complex (ecozone), on land reclaimed from Manila Bay off Sangley Point; it is estimated to cost US$50 billion, involving among other things the reclamation of a total of 2,500 hectares of land and the construction of either an underwater tunnel to the SM Mall of Asia complex in Pasay or an extension of the Manila-Cavite Expressway to connect the project to Metro Manila.

Construction of domestic airport

In December 2016, the ARRC also proposed to the Duterte administration a plan to develop the existing Danilo Atienza Air Base and its 2.4 km long runway into a facility for low-cost carriers and general aviation "while waiting for the new airport." This proposal involves the construction of a ₱3.3-billion airport terminal. The air base's proposed conversion into a civil airport, if realized under this plan, is expected to reduce air traffic movements at Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) by 20%.

Amid the increasing congestion and flight delays in NAIA, then-President Rodrigo Duterte ordered in June 2019 the transfer of domestic and general aviation operations to Sangley. The DOTr said it was just awaiting the construction of a passenger terminal building, hangars, a new tower, night operations equipment, and asphalt overlay of its existing 2,300-meter runway. Nevertheless, the President directed the operations in Sangley Point to start immediately and specifically gave a November deadline of the same year.

By October 27, 2019, Sangley had its operational dry run, in which transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade called "a success". The same day also welcomed its first arrival, a Cebu Pacific Cargo turboprop plane. The domestic airport was officially inaugurated on February 15, 2020 by then-President Rodrigo Duterte.

Redevelopment into international airport

The bidding for the redevelopment of the airport was opened on December 17, 2019. The sole bidder consisting of a consortium of China Communications Construction Company and MacroAsia Corporation was awarded the contract on February 12, 2020, but the contract was terminated in January 2021 due to various deficiencies of the submission of requirements of the consortium.

Bidding was reopened in February 2021, but failed in October after no bids were submitted. In November 2021, the SPIA Development Consortium submitted an unsolicited proposal. The consortium, led by Cavitex Holdings Inc. and Yuchengco Group of Companies, is composed of MacroAsia Corporation, Samsung C&T Corporation of South Korea, Flughafen München GmbH (the management services arm of Munich Airport), and the London-based Arup Group. The consortium was granted the original proponent status in January 2022, and was awarded the contract on September 15 after successfully overcoming the Swiss challenge set by the provincial government.

The first phase of the project would involve the construction of the first of four runways. The airport would initially have a capacity of 25 million passengers annually, with plans to construct a second runway and expand capacity to 75 million passengers annually.

In July 2024, the Philippine Competition Commission approved the contract between the Cavite LGU and Yuchengco-led House of Investments and Luis Virata’s Cavitex Holdings Inc. consortium.

Airlines and destinations

Passenger

See also

• Danilo Atienza Air Base
• List of airports in the Greater Manila Area
  • Clark International Airport
  • Ninoy Aquino International Airport
  • New Manila International Airport

Footnotes

References

1. Esplanada, Jerry E. (August 5, 2013). "European team studying Cavite airport project bullish on PH". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Retrieved May 7, 2017.
2. ^ Camus, Miguel R. (February 15, 2017). "DOTr reviews San Miguel's P700B Bulacan airport". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Retrieved May 8, 2017.
3. Amojelar, Darwin G. (October 30, 2016). "Sy also eyes new airport". Manila Standard. Retrieved May 8, 2017.
4. ^ Dela Paz, Chrisee (December 12, 2016). "Tieng, Sy group optimistic Sangley airport proposal will be approved". Rappler. Retrieved May 8, 2017.
5. "Sangley Point proposed to be converted into P1.3-trillion Philippine Global Gateway". March 30, 2017.
6. Ranada, Pia (June 11, 2019). "Duterte orders Sangley airport operations 'to start immediately'". Rappler.
7. Mendez, Christina (February 16, 2020). "Duterte inaugurates Sangley airport project in Cavite". The Philippine Star.
8. Cordero, Ted (December 19, 2019). "Lucio Tan's MacroAsia, China's CCCC sole bidder for $10-B Sangley airport project". GMA News. Retrieved September 21, 2021.
9. Cordero, Ted (February 14, 2020). "Lucio Tan's MacroAsia, China's CCCC bag P208.5B Sangley airport project". GMA News. Retrieved September 21, 2021.
10. Cordero, Ted (January 27, 2021). "Sangley Airport redevelopment stalled after negotiations collapsed —Gov. Remulla". GMA News. Retrieved September 21, 2021.
11. "SECOND INVITATION TO BID – Request for Proposal for the Competitive Selection of the Joint-Venture Partner of the Province of Cavite for the Development of the Sangley Point International Airport". cavite.gov.ph. February 15, 2021. Retrieved September 21, 2021.
12. ^ Piad, Tyrone Jasper C. (August 23, 2022). "SPIA bags $11-B Sangley airport contract". INQUIRER.net. Retrieved September 5, 2022.
13. ^ Cordero, Ted (September 15, 2022). "Cavite awards $11-B Sangley Int'l Airport project to Virata-Yuchengo-led consortium". GMA News. Retrieved September 15, 2022.
14. Jose, Ashley Erika (July 24, 2024). "Sangley airport developers get PCC approval". Retrieved August 17, 2024.
15. "Philippines' Alphaland To Operate From Manila's Sangley Point Airport". smartaviation-apac.com/. December 10, 2021. Retrieved August 10, 2022.

• 2020 establishments in the Philippines
• Airports established in 2020
• Airports in the Philippines
• Buildings and structures in Cavite City
• Transportation in Cavite