Lahug Airport
Lahug Airport | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Summary | |||||||||||
| Airport type | Military, public (currently defunct) | ||||||||||
| Owner | Philippines United States (former) | ||||||||||
| Operator | Bureau of Aeronautics (currently known as the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP)) | ||||||||||
| Serves | Cebu City | ||||||||||
| Opened | June 25, 1938 | ||||||||||
| Closed | April 27, 1966 | ||||||||||
| Time zone | PHT (UTC+08:00) | ||||||||||
| Elevation AMSL | 125 ft / 38 m | ||||||||||
| Runways | |||||||||||
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Lahug Airport (ICAO: RPMC), also known as the Cebu-Lahug Airport and historically known as the Lahug Airfield, was a former military airport used by the United States Army Forces in the Far East (USAFFE) and the Philippine Army Air Corps (PAAC). Located before in Cebu City, it was among the two functioning airfields in the Cebu City area, along with the former Opon Airfield.[1]
History[edit]
In World War II, Lahug Airport was involved in a battle between the Japanese Army and the American Army, eventually leading to 50 deaths.[1] After the battle, the airport was quickly repaired by the Americans.[1]
On August 12, 1947, the airfield was reclassified as a national airport under the Executive Order No. 75, issued by the former Philippine President Manuel Roxas. The purpose of the Executive Order was to accelerate the development of the civil aviation in the Philippines. It also resulted into the Bureau of Aeronautics taking control of the airport.[2] There were conditions, namely 1) To let the Philippine Air Force to use the airport in times of war and that 2) The Philippine Air Force can use the airport for required daily missions.[3]
On February 19, 1981, the first papal mass in Cebu was held by Pope John Paul II.[4]
The airport would later suspend operations by April 27, 1966, after the transfer to a new airport on the island of Mactan. Currently, the former Lahug Airport is now the present site of Cebu IT Park.[3]
Accidents[edit]
There were three accidents involving the airport, the most famous of which involved former President Ramon Magsaysay, when leaving Lahug Airport on a plane called Mt. Pinatubo, the plane swerved and crashed, killing everyone on board except for the journalist Nestor Mata.[4]
References[edit]
- ^ a b c PacificWrecks.com. "Pacific Wrecks – Lahug Airfield, Cebu Province, Philippines". pacificwrecks.com. Retrieved 2024-06-23.
- ^ Oaminal, Clarence Paul. "The Lahug, Cebu National Airport". Philstar.com. Retrieved 2024-06-23.
- ^ a b Oaminal, Clarence Paul. "The Cebu Lahug Airport". Philstar.com. Retrieved 2024-06-23.
- ^ a b mcodilla (2014-05-08). "Remembering Lahug Airport". Cebu Daily News. Retrieved 2024-06-26.