Lucena, PH 🇵🇭 Closed Airport
PH-0448
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39 ft
PH-QUE
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Loading...GPS Code: Not available
Local Code: Not available
Location: 13.931193° N, 121.6011° E
Continent: AS
Type: Closed Airport
Keywords: Lucena
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Approximately late 1980s to early 1990s. Commercial airline services, primarily by Philippine Airlines, are widely reported to have ceased around 1988-1989. The airport may have remained open for limited general aviation for a short period afterward before being fully decommissioned and its land sold for redevelopment.
The primary reason for closure was urban encroachment. The rapid expansion of Lucena City led to residential and commercial developments completely surrounding the airport. This made flight operations increasingly unsafe, limited any possibility for runway expansion to accommodate larger aircraft, and ultimately made the land more valuable for real estate development than for aviation.
The site of the former airport has been completely redeveloped and is now unrecognizable as an airfield. The land was converted into a dense, mixed-use urban area. The main runway's alignment is now a local road named 'Airport Drive'. The surrounding area is filled with numerous residential subdivisions (such as St. Jude Village and University Village), schools, and commercial establishments. There are no visible remnants of the original airport infrastructure like the terminal building, tower, or hangars.
Former Lucena Airport was the main air gateway to Quezon Province and its capital, Lucena City, for several decades. It was a key provincial stop for Philippine Airlines (PAL), which operated regular scheduled flights, primarily connecting Lucena with Manila. These routes were crucial for business, government, and leisure travel before the South Luzon Expressway and other road networks were fully developed. The airport typically handled turboprop aircraft like the Hawker Siddeley HS 748, which were the workhorses of PAL's domestic fleet at the time.
There are zero prospects for reopening the airport at its original location, as the site is now fully developed and integrated into the urban fabric of Lucena. However, there have been long-standing government proposals for a new, modern airport to serve Quezon Province. This proposed project, often referred to as the 'Quezon-Sariaya Airport' or 'Quezon Gateway Airport', is planned for a site in the nearby municipality of Sariaya. While the project has faced significant delays over many years, it remains a long-term development goal for the provincial government to boost tourism and economic growth.
This is a highway strip airfield as it is primarily used by motor vehicles, trucks and buses. Aviation use is limited to general aviation. I have to wonder with all the civilian traffic, how aircraft land without hitting a more vehicles or pedestrian as there is no control tower.