Sibulan Airport

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Sibulan Airport, also known as Dumaguete–Sibulan Airport (IATA: DGT, ICAO: RPVD), is a public airport serving the city of Dumaguete in Negros Oriental, Philippines. It sits about 3 kilometers north of Dumaguete on a 63-hectare site in Barangay Agan-an, Sibulan. It is one of two major airports on Negros Island, the other being Bacolod–Silay Airport.

The airport is operated by the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP). It has an elevation of 5 meters above sea level and a single asphalt runway, 09/27, measuring 1,845 meters (6,053 feet).

In 2023, Sibulan Airport handled 650,831 passengers, 5,062 aircraft movements, and about 2,836,149 kilograms of cargo.

History and upgrades: The airport was built in 1938 with help from the United States Army Air Corps, with the runway completed in 1939. During World War II, two parallel east–west runways were built in 1942. The airfield was liberated in 1945, and the current runway was later extended to its present length. In 2017, the air traffic control system was upgraded and new navigational equipment installed, allowing night operations; Cebu Pacific began night flights in July 2017. On March 11, 2021, President Duterte inaugurated a major expansion that included road and pavement work, a larger terminal (from 1,152 to 1,842 square meters) and expanded CAAP offices.

Expansion and relocation plans: Studies by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) concluded that expanding the airport at its current site is not feasible. Since 2014, lawmakers have proposed moving the airport to Bacong, south of Dumaguete. Other proposed sites have included Bais, Tanjay, and Siaton, but Bacong is favored because it could support a northeast–southwest runway and offers a safer location for future growth. The east–west runway orientation at Sibulan and crosswinds present safety challenges for landings and takeoffs.

Note: The cargo figure above refers to 2023 data; 2022 cargo numbers were not available.