Caticlan Boracay Airport

Not Verified | As a primary airport for travellers to Boracay Island, Philippines, Caticlan needs serious expansion and upgrading. With separate arrivals and departure terminals (about 1/2 kilometre apart) there is a heavy reliance on cumbersome, unsafe and polluting buses to transfer passengers to aircraft. Arrivals is little more than a big tin shed where passengers are funnelled to taxis, buses etc to transfer to hotels on Boracay. The departure terminal is larger but woefully inadequate. As flights increase, the airport is too small to meet basic needs (but certainly enriches its owners) Security (a joke), concessions (few), direct access to aircraft (none!). Like much in the Philippines, the airport and all of Boracay lacks strategic planning and instead is simply a vehicle to ring out more money for the few families who own everything in the country. Decisions and plans (if any) are reactive with zero planning and strategic integration of the nations needs (that would cost ways too much plus, I want to buy a house in Aspen!). With a feudal system enrich a very few, the PHL and its airports once again falls to the bottom of every measure of ASEAN success.

✅ Trip Verified | We were informed that there is a delay in our departure time, it just fine as we had more time to take our last pictures, very good in the part of Air Asia. When we arrived at the terminal for departure in Caticlan (take note: they have different arrival and departure terminals), the state of the area was extremely poor. As if, it is just a huge bus terminal in EDSA. Poorly ventilated, not enough seating capacity. I was taken aback....considering this is Boracay#1 tourist attraction in the country and I can imagine the revenue that it is generating for the country. NAPAKA PANGET NG DEPARTURE AREA. Local E-trike drivers are earning more than 2k or more net on a lazy a day, can you imagine how much is the government is getting form the tourism business and yet the terminal is awful.

✅ Trip Verified | What a mess in the transport system. Could the airport or the local government do better. I am proud of Visayas as I am an Ilongga myself, but the airport isn't very inviting. Airports are terminals for tourist and local Filipinos to enjoy the place. But this airport is just frustrating. Planes arrives on time but gosh, the bus transfer and the minutes or hour you need to wait so you can get to the plane is like forever. How can we improve?