Libby Airfield

Military Demobilization. Libby Airfield was constructed by the United States Army Air Forces solely for combat operations during the liberation of the Philippines in WWII. With the surrender of Japan and the end of the war, its strategic purpose ceased. The airfield was abandoned as it was not needed for post-war civilian or military use, especially with the development of the nearby Sasa Airfield (now Francisco Bangoy International Airport).

The site is completely redeveloped and is no longer recognizable as an airfield. A significant portion of the former airfield grounds is now occupied by the Bureau of Plant Industry (BPI) - Davao National Crop Research, Development and Production Support Center, located in the Mintal district of Davao City. The surrounding area has been developed into dense residential subdivisions, commercial properties, and other agricultural lands. The only remaining public trace of its existence is the name of a local road, 'Libby Road', which traverses the area where the airfield once stood. No runway, taxiways, or military structures remain.

Libby Airfield was a major and strategically vital US Thirteenth Air Force base during the final year of World War II (1945). Constructed by the US Army's 1881st Engineer Aviation Battalion starting in May 1945, it was a key hub for air operations in the southern Philippines. The airfield hosted numerous bomber and fighter groups operating aircraft such as the B-24 Liberator, B-25 Mitchell, and P-38 Lightning. Key units stationed here included the 5th and 307th Bombardment Groups, the 42d Bombardment Group, and the 18th Fighter Group. For a time, it served as the headquarters for both the XIII Bomber Command and XIII Fighter Command. Operations from Libby were critical in neutralizing remaining Japanese forces in Mindanao and supporting campaigns in Borneo and the Dutch East Indies.

None. There are no plans or prospects for reopening Libby Airfield. The land has been fully repurposed for civilian, government, and agricultural use for over 75 years. The area is now a populated and developed part of Davao City. The city and the entire Davao Region are served by the modern and expanding Francisco Bangoy International Airport (DVO/RPMD), making a new airfield at this historical site both unnecessary and physically impossible without massive-scale demolition and relocation.