General Santos International Airport

In 1993, the airport, which, at the time, would be the largest airport in Mindanao, was built mainly on a fund granted by the United States Government amounting to US$47.6 million[2] through its United States Agency for International Development (USAID). The Philippine Government, through the Department of Transportation and Communication (DOTC), has co-shared 25% of the total project cost of the airport.[3] It is strategically situated on a 5,994,577-square-meter (599.4577 hectares)[4] plot of high-altitude, government-owned and formerly leased pasture land in Barangay Fatima approximately 14 kilometers away from the central business district of General Santos. It was rumored that the construction of the airport was part of a forward strategy of the US Military forces in the Philippine Islands in an, accordingly, apparent attempt to reestablish their presence in Southeast Asia.[5][6][7] This allegation came out a few years later after the Americans' eviction from their installations at Subic Naval Base, Olongapo, and Clark Air Base, Pampanga in 1992.[8] Both the U.S. and the Philippine governments denied the allegation.[9]

Upon the opening of the new airport in 1996, it has since gotten hold of the record as the biggest airport facility in the island of Mindanao, which has then become a very promising addition to the potential of the city in its bid to become a "Boom Town"—which means rapidly developing urban center—as it was indeed dubbed as is during the time. All flights, in small aircraft, to and from Iloilo and Cebu cities by the national flag carrier Philippine Airlines (PAL) that were previously operating in the old and smaller Buayan Airport has since then landed and departed in this new and far better airport facility. On the first few weeks of operation of the new airport, PAL has initially deployed its Boeing 737-300 aircraft to serve its special direct flights to and from the capital to serve the travel needs for the ongoing Palarong Pambansa sports event being held during the time. As before there were no direct flights going to and from the capital of Manila to General Santos as PAL could not utilize its wider body and long range aircraft to safely land and take off in the city's old and smaller Buayan Airport. During then, there were only two options for air travelers to get to Manila by air from General Santos and vice versa. One, is to take and wait for a connecting flight to Manila upon arrival in Mactan–Cebu International Airport in Cebu, and second, is to take a tiresome and lengthy 4-hour land travel by land to Davao City's airport to catch a direct flight to Manila and vice versa.

Philippine Airlines commenced regular thrice weekly direct flights to and from Manila using a bigger and wider Airbus A300-B4 aircraft. Later, this became five times weekly in November 1996. And four months after its launch, a daily service was in effect in December 1997 while maintaining its existing regular frequencies to and from Iloilo and Cebu cities using smaller Fokker 50 aircraft. The airline's initiative to commence a direct flight to and from the capital has helped pave the way to continually increase not only the air passenger traffic that are coming in and out of city's very own airport but as well as air cargo traffic which is indicative of the city's vibrant tuna export industry and fast growing economy in general. However, PAL's financial difficulties in the late 90s forced the halting of its Iloilo and Cebu routes out of General Santos International Airport in 1998, leaving PAL with only its single daily frequency to and from Manila to operate in the airport. In 1997, Air Philippines (now Airphil Express) commenced its daily Manila–General Santos–Manila flight using Boeing 737-200 and McDonnell Douglas MD-88 aircraft.

The first international chartered flight to land in General Santos International Airport was of former President Fidel V. Ramos' homecoming from one of his state visits abroad in the mid 90s. Aboard PAL's Airbus A340 aircraft, the president and his party landed in General Santos International Airport directly from Bangkok. In November 2003, international flights to and from Manado, Indonesia were also briefly operational on a regular weekly frequency to this city by an Indonesian carrier Merpati Nusantara Airlines[10] using Fokker 70 aircraft. PAL has also disclosed plans of commencing international flights to and from General Santos City in the late 90s.

Cebu Pacific, the Philippines' largest low-cost carrier, commenced daily flights to and from Manila on October 2, 2006, initially deploying Airbus A319 aircraft. This was later upgraded to Airbus A320, Airbus A330 and is being used up till the present time.

Terminal building.

Having a runway length of 3,227 meters and a runway width of 45 meters,[11] General Santos International Airport has the country's third longest runway—to date—after Ninoy Aquino International Airport in Manila and Mactan–Cebu International Airport in Cebu. It is the first airport in Mindanao to have accommodated the landing and take off of Boeing 747 aircraft.

With the 48-hour shutdown of Davao International Airport on June 2–3, 2013 due to an accident involving a Cebu Pacific aircraft from Manila, General Santos International Airport handled most of the diverted flights from Davao for the stranded passengers going to and coming from Manila, Cebu, Zamboanga and Kalibo cities.[12][13]

Bigger aircraft such as the Boeing 777 come to the airport due to tuna cargo and increase of passengers.

Passengers from the airport terminal board a Cebu Pacific Airbus A319.

As of June 8, 2020, some flights have resumed, with particular schedules of operations mandated by the City Mayor. However, due to cancellation of flights because of the COVID-19 pandemic, this list is no longer current and destinations are subject to change without prior notice.[14][15]

General Santos International Airport is approximately 14 kilometers away from the central business district of General Santos. A concrete 6-kilometer Philippine-American Friendship Road and the 30-kilometer General Santos Diversion Road connects the airport to the Pan Philippine Highway leading to the city proper as well as to the nearby provinces.

• List of airports in the Philippines

Wikimedia Commons has media related to General Santos International Airport.

• Airport information for RPMR (current airport in Brgy. Fatima) at World Aero Data. Data current as of October 2006.Source: DAFIF.
• Airport information for RPMR (current airport in Brgy. Fatima) at Great Circle Mapper. Source: DAFIF (effective October 2006).
• Accident history for GES/RPMB (former airport in Brgy. Buayan) at Aviation Safety Network