TALISAY CITY, Negros Occidental – President Benigno S. Aquino III has approved the proposed expansion of the Bacolod-Silay Airport, during his meeting with local officials when he visited the province Saturday.

"One of the major concerns (raised) was to extend the airport runway and terminal. (The President) approved (it)," Gov. Alfredo Marañon Jr. told reporters after the meeting.

Aquino attended the Liberal Party provincial convention at the Nature's Village Resort here with other LP leaders, including Transportation and Communications Secretary Manuel Roxas II, Senator Franklin Drilon, Interior and Local Government Secretary Jesse Robredo, and House Deputy Speaker Erin Tañada, and Riza Hontiveros-Baraquel of Akbayan partylist.

Marañon said that before he flew back to Manila, the President observed flight operations at the Silay airport.

The Bacolod-Silay Airport, which sits on a 181-hectare site, started its operations on Jan. 18, 2008.

Last January, several chartered flights of Zest Airways from Incheon, South Korea to Negros Occidental landed at the Bacolod-Silay Airport with hundreds of Korean golf enthusiasts.

Earlier this year, the construction of the Korean government-funded P404-million alternative access road from Bacolod City to the airport in Silay City had also started.

The Bacolod-Silay Airport Access Road Project is a 10.12 kilometer two-lane road, spanning six bridges, seven intersections, a drainage, and slope protection structures. It is expected to reduce travel time from Bacolod to the airport by 15 minutes.*NLG