Puerto Princesa International Airport (IATA: PPS, ICAO: RPVP) is an airport serving the general area of Puerto Princesa, located in the province of Palawan in the Philippines. Classified as an international airport by the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines, it is the main gateway to Palawan, a popular tourist destination located in the westernmost province of the Philippines. The airport is conveniently located just 2 km from the city center of Puerto Princesa, making it an accessible starting point for travelers. It serves flights from local airlines including Cebu Pacific, Philippines Airlines, and AirAsia, with most arrivals coming from Cebu and Manila.
The airport was built by American prisoners of war during World War II from August 1942 to September 1944. It was used to accommodate large Japanese transport aircraft to complement the grass airstrip south of the present-day location of NCCC Mall Palawan on Lacao Street. The airstrip was constructed by hand by the POWs using crushed corals for illuminating night landings. The finished airfield has an area of 2,195 by 206 meters (7,200 by 675 ft) with two runways.
Puerto Princesa opened to air travel as early as 1947. The first scheduled route, operated by Philippine Airlines (PAL), was from Manila to Puerto Princesa via San Jose, Mindoro, and vice versa. The flight was scheduled for Wednesdays utilizing the DC-3 aircraft. During the early 1960s, Puerto Princesa catered its first direct flight from Manila using the Vickers Viscount aircraft and welcomed its first jet service via BAC 1-11 by the late 1970s, both of which were operated by PAL.[4] By the late 1990s, Puerto Princesa Airport welcomed its first wide-body aircraft service with Airbus A300 dubbed as the “Love Bus” operated by PAL.
