Completion of the new international airport in Panglao is now at “74 percent,” less than six months before the projected start of the P7.8-billion facility’s operations in August.

This was reported by the tandem of Japanese engineering giants Chiyoda Corp. and Mitsubishi Corp, the project’s contractors, to Governor Edgar Chatto during a site visit on Friday.

Chatto along with acting Vice Governor Venzencio Arcamo and members of the Provincial Board, inspected various projects including the airport in Panglao and the new Capitol in Tagbilaran City.

The airport will have a terminal spanning 8,361 sqm and a 2.5-km runway which is already set for extension to 2.8 km in the future.

The facility can accommodate airplanes as large as the Boeing 777, said Japan Airport Consultant project manager Tadashi Aoi.

The Boeing 777 is considered as the largest twinjet and has a typical seating capacity of 314 to 396 passengers.

“The runway can accept Boeing 777s and we can put in smaller planes between the Boeing 777s such as Airbus 320s and similar-sized aircrafts for a total of seven airplanes,” Aoi previously told media.

According to Anna Mae Lamentillo, chair of the Department of Public Works and Highways’ infrastructure segment, the airport can handle 1.9 million passengers per year.