Philippines nears completion of Thitu Island harbour as runway-extension works advance

Vantor imagery shows Thitu Island in the South China Sea. Land reclamation at the eastern end of the island will aid in extending the runway, while earlier land reclamation allowed the construction of a new harbour. (Satellite image © 2026 Vantor/© 2026 Janes)

Satellite imagery indicates that the Philippines has largely completed construction of a new sheltered harbour on Thitu Island in the disputed Spratly Islands.

The imagery also indicates substantial progress on a concurrent project to extend the island's sole runway, enhancing Manila's ability to sustain both military and civilian operations at its largest outpost in the South China Sea.

Thitu Island is the largest Philippine-controlled feature in the Spratly Islands and hosts the archipelago's only permanent civilian settlement administered by Manila.

The island is claimed by the Philippines, China, Taiwan, and Vietnam.

Located roughly 500 km west of Palawan, Thitu Island sits near several Chinese-controlled artificial islands, including Subi Reef.

Satellite imagery captured on 14 August shows a fully enclosed harbour basin on the island's northwestern coast and ongoing land-reclamation activity at the eastern end of the runway.

The imagery suggests that the harbour is operational or close to becoming operational, while work to extend the runway has progressed significantly since beginning in early 2025.

The runway project forms part of a wider infrastructure programme funded under the Philippines' FY 2025 budget.

The new harbour represents one of the most significant upgrades to maritime infrastructure on Thitu Island in recent years.

Open-source information indicates that the sheltered-port project began in June 2022 and has been implemented in phases, with the final phase reported as nearly complete by May 2025.