Subic Bay International Airport
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Subic Bay International Airport Paliparang Pandaigdig ng Look ng Subic |
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Aerial view of Subic Bay International Airport
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| Summary | |||||||||||
| Airport type | Public | ||||||||||
| Operator | Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority | ||||||||||
| Serves | Zambales, Bataan, Western Pangasinan | ||||||||||
| Location | Mabayo, Morong, Bataan | ||||||||||
| Elevation AMSL | 19 m / 64 ft | ||||||||||
| Coordinates | 14°47′40″N 120°16′17″E / 14.79444°N 120.27139°ECoordinates: 14°47′40″N 120°16′17″E / 14.79444°N 120.27139°E | ||||||||||
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.svg)
 SFS/RPLB
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| Runways | |||||||||||
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Subic Bay International Airport (Filipino: Paliparang Pandaigdig ng Look ng Subic) or SBIA (IATA: SFS, ICAO: RPLB) serves as a secondary airport and a main diversion airport of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport. It is also the airport serving the immediate area of the Subic Bay Freeport Zone and the general area of Olongapo in the Philippines. This airport used to be the Naval Air Station Cubi Point of the United States Navy.
In 1950, Admiral Arthur W. Radford, Commander-in-Chief of the United States Pacific Fleet, envisioned an army base in the Western Pacific to enhance Seventh Fleet capabilities. In 1951, construction started on the Subic Bay Naval Base. In 1952, Admiral Radford made his first landing at Cubi Point. After decades of use by American forces, Mount Pinatubo erupted in 1991, burying Cubi Point in 18-36 inches of ash. Despite this, the American government wished to keep the Subic Naval Base and signed a treaty with the Philippine government. The treaty was not ratified, however, failing by a slim margin in the Philippine Senate. Attempts to negotiate a new treaty were soon abandoned and the United States was informed that it was to withdraw within one year. U.S. forces withdrew in November 1992, turning over the facility with its airport to the Philippine government.
Initially some 8,000 volunteers guarded the facility and prevented looters from damaging the facilities. The Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) was created to manage the facility by virtue of Republic Act No. 7227 after intense lobbying of then-Mayor Richard Gordon. He was appointed its first Chairman and Administrator.
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