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Subic Bay International Airport
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Subic Bay International Airport Paliparang Pandaigdig ng Look ng Subic |
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|---|---|---|---|
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| IATA: SFS - ICAO: RPLB | |||
| Summary | |||
| Airport type | public | ||
| Operator | Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) | ||
| Serves | Olongapo City | ||
| Elevation AMSL | 64 ft (19 m) | ||
| Coordinates | |||
| Runways | |||
| Direction | Length | Surface | |
| ft | m | ||
| 07L/25R | 9,003 | 2,728 | Asphalt |
Subic Bay International Airport (Filipino: Paliparang Pandaigdig ng Look ng Subic) or SBIA (IATA: SFS, ICAO: RPLB) serves as a secondary airport and a main diversion airport of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport. It is also the airport serving the immediate area of the Subic Bay Freeport Zone and the general area of Olongapo City in the Philippines. This airport used to be the Naval Air Station Cubi Point of the United States Navy. Its airport terminal has 2 gates.
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In 1950, Admiral Arthur W. Radford, Commander-in-chief of the Pacific US Fleet, envisioned an army base in the Western Pacific to enhance Seventh Fleet capabilities. In 1951, construction started on the Subic Bay Naval Base. In 1952, Admiral Radford made his first landing at Cubi Point. In 1991, Mount Pinatubo exploded, burying Cubi Point into 18-36 inches of ash. Despite this, the American government wanted to keep the Subic Naval Base and signed a treaty with the Philippine government. The treaty was not ratified, however, failing by a slim margin in the Philippine Senate. Attempts to negoiate a new treaty was soon abandoned and the Americans were told to withdraw within a year. They left in November 1992 turning over the base with its airport to the Philippine government. The Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority, or SBMA, was created to manage the facility under Republic Act No. 7227.
Twenty days after the leaving of the Americans, the airport ushered in its first commercial flight from Taiwan via Makung. In February 1993, NAS Cubi Point was converted to Cubi Point International Airport, a few months later, it was renamed Subic Bay International Airport. To herald its designation as an international airport, President Fidel V. Ramos chose to arrive from an official visit to the United States using the airport. This flight also proved the capabilities of the airport as the President arrived aboard the delivery flight of Philippine Airlines's first Boeing 747-400. Construction of the present terminal commenced in 1993, with the new terminal being inaugurated in 1996. In 1997, SBIA topped the 100,000th passenger count. In 2006, there is limited, regularly scheduled commericial flights from Subic.
Subic Bay International Airport boasts of modern facilities, which include the following:
- 10,000-square metre passenger terminal
- 2 stearn jetways
- Closed-circuit television (CCTV)
On December 13, 1995, SBIA became the main diversion airport when the Ninoy Aquino International Airport had a problem with its runway. On that day, it served 1,674 passengers from various international airlines while serving 212 passengers from various local airlines.
- Far Eastern Air Transport (Taipei-Taiwan Taoyuan)
The airport was a hub of Federal Express, they have recently signed an extension of lease in Subic Bay International Airport through 2010. The company signed an agreement to reserve space for use as a potential hub with Diosdado Macapagal International Airport. The reason for the move would be the company's decision to use the Airbus A380, an aircraft that SBIA cannot support. However, FedEx recently cancelled their order of A380 due to delays in delivery. They are also exploring Baiyun Airport in China as a potential hub.[1]
Subic Bay International Airport hosted a number of wide-bodied aircraft during the seventh APEC Summit in 1996. They include a chartered Royal Brunei Airlines Airbus A340-200, a Japan Air Self-Defense Force Boeing 747-400, and Air Force One, a Boeing 747-200, among others.