ANGELES CITY – The impending pull-out of Emirates Airlines has underscored what has long been suspected by the Pinoy Gumising Ka Movement (PGKM) – the conspiracy to derail the development of the Clark International Airport (CIA).
This was further affirmed with the public pronouncement of San Miguel Corp. (SMC) President Ramon Ang who said they are “set to submit to President Aquino next month (their) own proposal for a $10-billion alternative international airport serving Metro Manila even as the government separately pursues a similar project, likely at a former US naval base in Sangley Point, Cavite.”
Last Monday, Emirates Airlines announced that it will stop flying to the CIA starting May 1. An Emirates Airline spokesman was quoted as saying, “The decision was made after a review of the airline’s operations to ensure the best utilization of its aircraft fleet for its overall business objectives.”
A source from the Clark International Airport Corp. (CIAC), which manages the operations of the CIA, said Emirates is losing some P50 million per month with its Clark fl ights due to numerous reasons among them the half empty seats compounded by the Bureau of Internal Revenue’s imposition of excise tax under its Regulation No. 2-2012.
Wake-up call But PGKM Chair Ruperto Cruz said here yesterday that it is now becoming clear that the government has neither the intention nor any plans for the full and immediate development of the CIA.
“The Emirates pullout should serve as a wake-up call for Kapampangans as well as the people of Central and Northern Luzon that government has no plans for Clark as an international gateway,” Cruz declared. “Ang’s pronouncement and the insistence of government men like (Transportation Secretary Joseph Emilio) Abaya on alternative airports other than Clark is the most telling evidence of government’s total disregard for Clark,” Cruz said.
“This, notwithstanding all the existing structures at Clark, particularly the runway, as well as the expansive space of some 2,400 hectares vis-à-vis the high cost of reclamation and the threat of storm surges obtaining in Sangley,” he added.
He also said if an airport is built in Cavite as announced by the government, it will only further contribute to the congestion of Metro Manila. “An inutile CIA, a new airport in Sangley, the people of Central and Northern Luzon are being driven all the way to Cavite to take flights.
People will be packed as sardines in Metro Manila,” Cruz noted. Vindicated Cruz said the pull-out of Emirates from Clark is a “vindication” for the PGKM. At the launch of the Emirates fl ights in Clark last October, the PGKM expressed “guarded pessimism” over what could be “only a reason to discredit Clark as unmarketable, for lack of passengers.”
Low passenger volume has been cited by Emirates as one reason for its departure from the CIA. “It has only been five months and Emirates knows the gestation period for any business, moreso in the aviation industry, takes a longer time,” Cruz said.
Cruz lamented that the few remaining flights in Clark are not suitable for businessmen since most are “red eye flights” or fl ights departing late at night and arriving early the next morning. It was earlier announced that the entry of Qatar Airways and Emirates Airlines in Clark will help offset the losses in passenger traffic and revenues following the exit of Philippines’ AirAsia (PAA).
But Cruz said with this recent development, will the pull-out of Qatar Airways be far behind? PAA, which used to be the largest carrier at Clark with an average of 9,000 weekly seats, decided to drop its Clark hub in favor of Manila last year.
Tigerair Philippines which was recently acquired by Cebu Pacific currently serves Bangkok, Hong Kong and Singapore from Clark, as well as domestic routes to Kalibo and Davao. However, even these are no longer stable as passengers at CIA are most often transferred by bus to Manila for their flights to their consternation.
Cebu Pacific, which has maintained an aircraft base at Clark, flies to Hong Kong, Singapore, Macau and Cebu.
Clark is currently served by AirAsia Malaysia, Asiana, Jin Air and Dragonair.
