Jolo Airport (IATA: JOL, ICAO: RPMJ) is an airport serving the general area of Jolo, located in the province of Sulu, Philippines. It is the only airport in the province of Sulu. The airport is classified as a Class 2 principal (minor domestic) airport by the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines, a body of the Department of Transportation that is responsible for the operations of not only this airport but also of all other airports in the Philippines except the major international airports.
Jolo Airport Lapagan sin Jolo Paliparan ng Jolo | |||||||||||
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 Entrance to the apron of Jolo Airport | |||||||||||
| Summary | |||||||||||
| Airport type | Public | ||||||||||
| Owner/Operator | Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (airside and landside) Bangsamoro Airport Authority (landside)[1] | ||||||||||
| Serves | Sulu | ||||||||||
| Elevation AMSL | 36 m / 118 ft | ||||||||||
| Coordinates | 06°03′13″N 121°00′40″E / 6.05361°N 121.01111°E | ||||||||||
| Map | |||||||||||
.svg)  JOL/RPMJ .svg) JOL/RPMJ | |||||||||||
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| Runways | |||||||||||
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| Statistics (2008) | |||||||||||
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Statistics from the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines.[2] | |||||||||||
History
editJolo Airport was constructed in the 1940s during World War II as a staging point for American fighter aircraft. At the time, it had a 1,000-meter runway.[3]
At the end of the war, the airport, then owned by the United States military, was turned over to the Sulu provincial government. The airport was expanded in 1965 by President Ferdinand Marcos, who expanded the runway to 1,200 meters.[3] Marcos would later expand the runway by some 500 meters,[3] though the runway would shrink again to its 1965 size.
A three million-dollar expansion project, financed by the United States, seeks to rehabilitate the old airport by expanding the current runway to over 2,000 meters, enabling aircraft as large as the Boeing 737 to land at the airport.[4] The rehabilitated airport should enable larger passenger planes to arrive at the new airport, facilitating trade and enabling flights not only to Manila but also to neighboring Malaysia, Indonesia and Brunei. Currently, the largest plane landing in Jolo is the C-130 Hercules.[5]
In August 2008, a Manila-based construction company, CS Santiago Construction, won the bidding for the airport's expansion. Some P80 million has been allocated by the Philippine government for the construction of a terminal building, perimeter fencing and relocation of affected military camps and residents. The runway will be expanded to a length of 1,800 meters and a width of 60 meters, long and wide enough for larger planes to land. Construction is set to begin in October and should be completed by late 2009.[6]
On December 14, 2009, then former President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo and ex-US Ambassador to the Philippines Kristie A. Kenny cut the ceremonial ribbon signaling the inauguration of the newly rehabilitated airport, together with Sulu Governor Abdusakur Tan, Jolo Mayor Hussin Amin[7][8] On June 11, 2018, Governor Abdusakur “Toto” Tan II together with other local officials of Sulu and officials from Department of Transportation and Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines led the formal turnover and inauguration of the newly constructed Jolo Airport Terminal Building.[9]
Airlines and destinations
edit| Airlines | Destinations |
|---|---|
| Bangsamoro Airways | Cotabato, Zamboanga |
| Leading Edge | Zamboanga |
Accidents and incidents
edit- On July 4, 2021, a Philippine Air Force C-130 Hercules transport aircraft carrying military personnel, most of which were trainees from the 4th Infantry Division, crashed after attempting to land at the airport. 49 of the 96 passengers on board and 3 civilians on the ground were killed.[10] Another 1 military officer died from injuries sustained from the crash more than a week later.[11]
References
edit- ^ Jannaral, Julmunir (26 December 2022). "BARMM to run six airports in 2023". The Manila Times. Retrieved 26 December 2022.
- ^ "Volume of Air Passengers and Air Cargo (Air Cargo in Metric Tons)". Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines. Archived from the original on April 22, 2009. Retrieved April 21, 2009.
- ^ a b c P232M earmarked for Jolo airport Archived 2010-04-13 at the Wayback Machine, Philippine Daily Inquirer, October 15, 2008
- ^ Rehab of Sulu airport to start soon, GMA News and Public Affairs, April 27, 2007
- ^ Jolo airport up for rehabilitation Archived 2008-05-06 at the Wayback Machine, Sun.Star Zamboanga, April 29, 2008
- ^ Jolo Airport’s Construction In Full Steam, Provincial Government of Sulu, September 29, 2008
- ^ '"GMA, Kenney inaugurate P232-million Jolo Airport". Manila Bulletin. Archived from the original on 2012-08-19. Retrieved 2011-04-23.'
- ^ "Inauguration of P232-M Sulu Airport Project Set" - Manila Bulletin, December 11, 2009". Archived from the original on September 1, 2019. Retrieved September 1, 2019.
- ^ "Gov Toto Tan leads turnover of Jolo Airport". June 19, 2018.
- ^ "52 killed in Sulu military plane crash". Rappler. 4 July 2021. Retrieved July 4, 2021.
- ^ "Death toll in Sulu C-130 crash climbs to 53". Rappler. 16 July 2021. Retrieved July 16, 2021.