Bad-As Airport

Economic. The airport was a private airstrip built, owned, and operated exclusively to support the logistics of the Manila Mining Corporation's gold mine. When MMC suspended its mining and milling operations in July 1999 due to declining ore quality and low global gold prices, the supporting airstrip became redundant and was subsequently abandoned.

The site is completely defunct as an aviation facility. The paved runway, approximately 850 meters long, is still clearly visible on satellite imagery but is in a state of disrepair. It is overgrown with grass and is now used by the local community as an access road, a communal space for drying agricultural products like palay (rice), and for recreational activities. Structures and vegetation have encroached on the former airport grounds, making it unusable for aircraft.

Bad-As Airport was not a public or commercial airport. Its sole purpose was to serve as a critical logistical asset for the Manila Mining Corporation. It handled private general aviation aircraft used to transport company executives, engineers, critical equipment, and high-value cargo, likely including gold doré shipments, to and from the remote mining site. The airstrip was essential for the efficient operation of the mine, bypassing the more time-consuming land and sea travel.

There are no known official plans or credible prospects for reopening the Bad-As Airport. The primary economic driver for its existence—the large-scale mining operation—has not resumed. The region is served by the commercial Surigao Airport (SUG) in Surigao City, located approximately 40 kilometers away. The significant investment required to clear encroachments, resurface the runway, and build modern facilities makes its reactivation highly unlikely without a renewed, large-scale industrial need.