International flights increasing in Iloilo

• Source: http://www.sunstar.com.ph/iloilo/local-news/2015/07/17/international-flights-increasing-iloilo-419430
• Friday, July 17, 2015

Lydia C. Pendon

INTERNATIONAL flight arrivals at the Iloilo airport posted a significant increase since it opened for direct flights in 2013, said Department of Tourism Western Visayas Director Helen Catalbas.

Catalbas said that from 64 flight arrivals in 2013, international flight arrivals went up to 65 in 2014 and 67 in 2015 for the first quarter of the years reported.

"The data may only show a gradual growth in terms of flights but we can see a huge impact in passenger arrivals. From 26,871 passenger arrivals in 2013, the numbers went up to 27,154 in 2014 and with the Visit Philippines Year this 2015, a large volume of visitors coming in the region," she added.

In 2013, three flights from Singapore and two flights from Hong Kong arrived at the Iloilo International Airport weekly, while two flights from Singapore and three flights from Hong Kong weekly were reported in 2014.

In 2015, flights were arriving alternately from Singapore and Hong Kong four to six times a week.

The year 2013 recorded 6,917 passengers and 84.2 percent were Filipinos and 15.8 percent were of foreign nationalities. In 2014, there were 6,441 passengers and the first quarter of 2015 posted with 6,607 passengers.