Siargao tickets surpass Tokyo fares

Soaring airfares to Siargao, the Philippines' surfing capital, are now more expensive than flights to major international hubs like Hong Kong, Thailand, or Japan, making the island's famous waves feel increasingly out of reach for travelers.

- BY DEXTER BARRO II

Round-trip tickets from Manila to Siargao can cost up to over P30,000. Considering the flight from Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) is only about two hours, the steep price has left many travelers and officials questioning the value.

The Department of Transportation (DOTr) will step in on Tuesday, Aug. 26, to ask this very question to local carriers operating on the Siargao route.

DOTr Spokesperson for Business Infrastructure Maricar Bautista said last week that the meeting will be "somehow similar to AirAsia [MOVE]," with the department and other government agencies asking the airlines what's fueling the spike in airfares and what can be done to lower them.

In June, AirAsia MOVE was fined P6 million for allegedly overpricing fares. The online booking arm of Malaysia-based AirAsia was reported to have offered a one-way ticket from Tacloban to Manila for nearly P39,000.

While it remains uncertain if the DOTr will also impose fines or other sanctions on carriers over the high fares, what's clear is that travelers will soon have a better understanding of what's driving ticket prices to Siargao higher.

The price of limitations

For an aviation expert, the reasoning behind these high prices would boil down to existing limitations in the main gateway to Siargao, Sayak Airport, also known as Siargao Airport.

"So the issue with Siargao is two things: it's a small runway and it's not instrument-rated," said Vincent Ong, president of Cebu-based Airworks Aviation Academy.

With over 60 years of operations, Sayak Airport enables tourists to enter the island via Del Carmen town, located approximately 40 minutes from the municipality of General Luna, the island’s primary destination.

Reports indicated that the airport’s runway was last majorly renovated in 2018, when it was extended to about 1,300 meters to better serve small turboprop aircraft carrying around 80 passengers.