GenSan eyeing direct international flights
GENERAL SANTOS CITY — Direct international flights from General Santos may be closer to reality following a September 9, 2025 meeting between city officials and officials of the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) to discuss operational plans for the General Santos International Airport (GSIA).
The dialogue came about after GSIA Manager Joel G. Gavina formally invited, in a letter dated September 4, 2025, City Mayor Lorelie Geronimo Pacquiao to a meeting to discuss plans for international flights and prepare the airport for upcoming operations.
Pacquiao welcomed the development, describing it in a September 8 Facebook post as major step in making General Santos City as a “potential global gateway for Mindanao.”
She said if plans push through, this development would boost tourism, strengthen trade, and create more jobs for residents of General Santos.
The meeting comes at the heels of discussions at the House of Representatives on GSIA’s readiness for international flights which came up during the Department of Transportation’s (DOTr) presentation of its proposed 2026 budget on September 4.
During the hearing, South Cotabato 2nd District Representative Ferdinand Hernandez pressed the agency to present a clear long-term vision.
Hernandez noted that the airport’s budget has largely been based on air traffic volume during the Aquino administration when traffic volume was still low. Demand has grown since, Hernandez added.
“There should be foresight. My question to the DOTr is, what’s your plan for the next three years? When will it be an international airport? Is it capable to handle international passengers, cargo,” Hernandez asked.
He stressed that having international flights from GSIA would make it “easier to market SOCCSKSARGEN outside.”
Responding to the query, lawyer Danjun Lucas, CAAP Deputy Director General for Administration, admitted that the agency has been “reactive“ in developing the General Santos Airport and has been overtaken by events.
Lucas said the surge in passenger demand during and after the pandemic has prompted the agency to expand space for travelers.
Lucas said GSIA is technically ready to accommodate regional international flights, but customs, immigration, and quarantine (CIQ) facilities remain inadequate.
“We have allocated P92 million for next year, at least for the passenger terminal,” Lucas said.
“But the air side, we were told that it’s ready for international operation,” he explained.
The CAAP official said they are reviving earlier plans, including an “aerotropolis,” or an urban economic region wherein infrastructure, land-use, and economy are centered on an airport, a plan first envisioned with private sector partners.
Hernandez stressed that once CIQ facilities are in place, DOTr should formally announce that GSIA as capable of accepting international flights so it can live up to its name.
While transport officials map out plans for GSIA, families in the city are hopeful that direct international flights will make travel to and from abroad easier.
For many, the absence of overseas routes means longer journeys just to reach loved ones.
“To be honest, it can be a bit of a hassle since they need to go through connecting flights to other cities, like Davao or Cebu,” said Ezylle Diane Mendoza, a resident whose sister works as a nurse in the United Kingdom (UK).
Mendoza told MindaNews that while side trips have some benefits, such as having more time together and seeing other places along the way, the extra hours of travel can be tiring.
Direct flights from General Santos, she said, would make the journey smoother and more convenient for families like hers.
Mendoza added that she hopes the airport will eventually open routes to Australia and the UK, where her loved ones are based.
Despite its inauguration as an “international” airport in 1996, the GSIA currently serves only domestic flights and has yet to host regular international routes. (Guia A. Rebollido)
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