Puerto Princesa International Airport

Puerto Princesa International Airport (PPS) is an airport that helps people travel to and from Puerto Princesa, a city in the province of Palawan in the Philippines. It is officially recognized as an international airport by the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines.

This airport is very important because it is the main way for visitors to reach the Puerto Princesa Underground River. This amazing river is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is also one of the New 7 Wonders of Nature. The airport makes it easier for people from all over the world to come and see this natural wonder.

History

World War II

The airport was built by American prisoners during World War II from August 1942 to September 1944. It was used by Japanese soldiers for large transport planes. The runway was made by hand using crushed corals.

After the war, many US Army Air Forces units stayed at the airport. Engineers fixed and expanded the airport, adding new runways and facilities.

Post-war

Puerto Princesa began air travel as early as 1947 with flights from Manila. In the 1960s, it had its first direct flight from Manila, and by the late 1970s, it welcomed its first jet service. By the late 1990s, the airport had its first wide-body aircraft service.

Expansion and contemporary history

To meet growing needs, a new passenger terminal and other facilities were built and opened in 2017. International flights started in 2019 but stopped in March 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The airport plans to restart international flights by the end of 2025, including a new route to South Korea.

Structures

Terminal

The airport has a big passenger building that can fit two million people each year. It has space for 1,500 people to sit and wait. This building can welcome airplanes as big as an Airbus A330, Airbus A350, and Boeing 787. There is a special waiting area called the Mabuhay Lounge by Philippine Airlines. Outside, there is a place to park up to 200 cars.

The new building replaced an older, smaller one. In 2019, the airport started offering free WiFi for everyone traveling through.

Runway

The airport has one long runway that is 2,601 meters long and 45 meters wide. This runway is also used by the nearby Antonio Bautista Air Base. The runway has special lights and systems that help airplanes land safely even at night or in poor weather.

Airlines and destinations

This section lists the airlines that fly to and from Puerto Princesa International Airport and the places they go to. The airport helps connect travelers to beautiful spots like the Puerto Princesa Underground River, a special natural wonder recognized worldwide.

Statistics

Data comes from the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines.

Sometimes a dash (—) is used when the data from CAAP is not available.

Year	Passenger movements				Aircraft movements				Cargo movements (in kg)
	Domestic	International	Total	% change	Domestic	International	Total	% change	Domestic	International	Total	% change
2003	195,975	0	195,975		3,346	0	3,346		5,001,051	0	5,001,051
2004	271,769	161	271,930	38.76	4,390	12	4,402	31.56	4,500,599	—	4,500,599	10.01
2005	267,778	0	267,778	1.53	3,916	0	3,916	11.04	4,744,915	0	4,744,915	5.43
2006	284,110	0	284,110	6.10	3,780	0	3,780	3.47	3,912,209	0	3,912,209	17.55
2007	392,039	0	392,039	37.99	4,538	0	4,538	20.05	4,480,615	0	4,480,615	14.53
2008	444,878	0	444,878	13.48	4,990	0	4,990	9.96	4,580,557	0	4,580,557	2.23
2009	584,186	0	584,186	31.31	4,236	0	4,236	15.11	5,439,799	0	5,439,799	18.76
2010	807,916	0	807,916	38.30	3,760	0	3,760	11.24	8,972,631	0	8,972,631	64.94
2011	988,972	0	988,972	22.41	4,248	0	4,248	12.98	9,294,017	0	9,294,017	3.58
2012	1,322,925	0	1,322,925	33.77	12,046	0	12,046	183.57	10,938,901	0	10,938,901	17.70
2013	1,357,531	12,894	1,370,425	3.59	10,512	2,684	13,196	9.55	12,699,299	—	12,699,299	16.09
2014	1,371,651	6,929	1,378,580	0.60	13,130	224	13,354	1.20	15,038,825	—	15,038,825	18.42
2015	1,564,914	26,804	1,591,718	15.46	14,222	184	14,406	7.88	14,278,467	133,614	14,412,081	4.17
2016	1,612,640	31,363	1,644,003	3.28	13,813	191	14,004	2.79	17,136,857	116,870	17,253,727	19.72
2017	1,767,157	22,958	1,790,115	8.89	15,682	155	15,837	13.09	16,173,990	833,190	17,007,180	1.43
2018	2,046,628	99,722	2,146,350	19.90	19,404	683	20,087	26.84	16,955,042	13,029	16,968,071	0.23
2019	2,019,542	144,189	2,163,731	0.81	17,423	1,033	18,456	8.12	20,042,720	—	20,042,720	18.12
2020	453,610	21,712	475,322	78.03	6,375	194	6,569	64.41	9,730,214	—	9,730,214	51.4
2021	132,420	—	132,420	72.14	5,801	9	5,810	11.55	13,132,851	—	13,132,851	34.97
2022	1,121,047	326	1,121,373	746.83	8,923	9	8,931	53.72	14,139,882	—	14,139,882	7.67