Cagayan International Airport

PROJECT BRIEF
PROPOSED CAGAYAN INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT
A 2,000-Hectare International Airport, Aerotropolis, Air-Cargo and Aviation Logistics Hub
Casambalangan, Cagayan, Philippines

Project Classification: Proposed Project of National Significance (PNS)
Project Status: Advanced Conceptual Development / For Board Evaluation and Investment Approval
Project Designer / Master Planner: Architect Hermenegildo C. Mercado, UAP
Preliminary Total CAPEX: US$20.0 Billion
Indicative Annual OPEX Allowance: US$1.0 Billion

FRONT CONTENT

PROJECT IDENTIFICATION
Item Project Definition
Project Proposed Cagayan International Airport
Location Casambalangan, Cagayan, Philippines
Project Area Approximately 2,000 hectares
Classification Proposed Project of National Significance (PNS)
Development Concept International Airport Aerotropolis Air Cargo MRO Logistics Commercial Development
Initial Airside Configuration Two international-capable runways
Ultimate Airside Provision Four-runway airport system, subject to demand, safety and engineering validation
Project Designer / Master Planner Architect Hermenegildo C. Mercado, UAP
Preliminary Total CAPEX US$20.0 Billion
Indicative PHP Equivalent ₱1.24 Trillion at ₱62 = US$1
Indicative Annual OPEX US$1.0 Billion per year, subject to detailed studies
Development Status Advanced Conceptual Development / For Board Evaluation and Investment Approval ( note: not shovel-ready)

The airport project brief identifies the Casambalangan site as a preferred conceptual location at this stage, while expressly requiring formal topographic, geotechnical, hydrological, environmental, obstacle-limitation, airspace, wind, aviation-safety and traffic-demand studies before the project can be considered shovel-ready.

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The Proposed Cagayan International Airport is envisioned as a major international aviation, air-cargo, logistics, tourism and aerotropolis development occupying approximately 2,000 hectares in Casambalangan, Cagayan. Its principal investment proposition is not limited to passenger aviation: the airport is planned as the aviation anchor of an integrated Northern Luzon economic platform linking airport, freeport, seaport, logistics, industry, renewable energy and agriculture.
The project is conceptually positioned adjacent to CEZA and Port Irene and is intended to integrate with the proposed Cagayan Automated Container Seaport, the proposed 7.2-GW Cagayan Floating Solar PV Power Plant and the proposed BESS Smart Farm & Business Park. The airport is initially planned around two international-capable runways, with land and compatible development corridors reserved for two additional future runways.
For investor evaluation, the current airport brief establishes a preliminary development envelope of US$20.0 billion and an indicative annual OPEX allowance of US$1.0 billion. The source does not establish a validated airport revenue forecast, operating surplus, payback period or IRR; these should be developed only after completion of airport master planning, traffic-demand forecasting, airline engagement, cargo studies, tariff analysis, financing assumptions and detailed engineering.
Integrated development benchmark — the adjacent proposed Cagayan Automated Deep Seaport is separately described in the second source as a 1,500-hectare conceptual development targeting up to 100 million TEUs/year at ultimate master-plan build-out, with target CAPEX of US$10.0 billion, annual OPEX of US$750 million, indicative annual revenue of approximately US$2.6 billion, operating surplus of approximately US$1.85 billion, indicative payback of approximately 6–7 years and target IRR of approximately 15–17%. Those figures belong to the seaport concept and are not airport financial projections; they are included here solely to show the scale of the proposed integrated Cagayan Gateway platform.

KEY PROJECT STATISTICS
Development Component Approximate Area
Runways, Taxiways & Airside 700 ha
Air Cargo & Logistics 300 ha
Passenger Terminal District 150 ha
MRO / Aviation Industrial 200 ha
Airport City / Commercial 250 ha
Utilities / BESS / Energy Infrastructure 150 ha
Future Expansion Reserve 250 ha
TOTAL 2,000 ha

PROJECT DEVELOPMENT PARAMETERS
Parameter Conceptual Target
Site Casambalangan, Sta. Ana, Cagayan
Area Approximately 2,000 ha
Initial airside Two international-capable runways
Future expansion Two additional runways
Airport model International airport aerotropolis air cargo MRO logistics
Energy model Renewable-energy integration BESS
Digital model AI-driven smart airport IoT digital twin
Strategic integration CEZA, Port Irene, seaport, solar PV, BESS Smart Farm & Business Park
CAPEX US$20.0 Billion
OPEX US$1.0 Billion/year indicative allowance