Guiuan Airport (Filipino: Paliparan ng Guiuan, Waray-Waray: Luparan han Guiuan) (IATA: SAA, ICAO: RPVG) is an airport located in the municipality of Guiuan, in the province of Eastern Samar in the Philippines. It is classified as a feeder airport by the Air Transportation Office, a body of the Department of Transportation and Communications that is responsible for the operations of not only this airport but also of all other airports in the Philippines except the major international airports.

Presently, the government is planning to develop the airport to support the commercial and tourism industry in the region, most especially Calicoan Island, an upcoming island resort for surfers and beachcombers.

The IATA airport code SAA also refers to Shively Field in Saratoga, Wyoming, United States.

History

Guiuan Airport was originally a United States Navy air base in World War II.

After forces led by General Douglas Macarthur landed on Leyte on October 20, 1944, the first step towards the liberation of the Philippines from Japanese occupation, work began on improving or constructing several airfields around the area.

The US Navy initially attempted to construct a strip on the Samar shore of San Pablo Bay. It was soon found to be unusable after heavy rain, so the project was abandoned. After a brief search, Navy engineers settled on Guiuan, a town on the southeast promontory of Samar. Work was conducted by the 93rd Seabees and the first plane landed on December 18, 1944. US Navy and US Army Air Force aircraft were operating on the field by Christmas 1944.

After the war, the airfield was turned over to the Philippine government.

The Guiuan airfield originally had two runways, but only one remains operational today.

The content above was published at Airports-Worldwide.com in 2010.
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