CLARK FREEPORT – The Diosdado Macapagal International Airport (DMIA) bucked the global economic crunch and registered a marked increase in flights and passenger traffic in 2009 over that of the previous year.
A report from the Clark International Airport Corp. (CIAC) showed a total of 2,564 international flights arrived at the DMIA carrying 285,804 passengers. Departures numbered 2,568 flights with 278,010 passengers.
In 2008, arriving international flights numbered 2,037 with 245.241 passengers, with departures at 2,038 flights and 245,507 passengers.
Only a slight increase though is noted in domestic flights: 570 arrivals with 20,013 passengers; and 575 departures with 19,668 passengers.
The 2008 data for the same category showed 554 arrivals with 14,763 passengers; and 559 departures with 13, 771 passengers.
Five airlines serve the international route while three serve the domestic market. Zest Air which serves both routes started its operations only in the last quarter of 2008 but managed 36 international arrivals with 1,528 passengers and 36 departures with 1,616 passengers.
Cebu Pacific, Asia’s third largest carrier, registered the highest number of Clark flights: 888 arrivals and 894 departures international, 167 arrivals and 167 departures domestic.
A total of 166,000 international flyers, and 27,041 domestic passengers were ferried by Cebu Pacific.
Asiana, the only full-service international carrier servicing DMIA, registered 397 arrivals with 43,934 passengers; and 426 departures with 43,003 passengers.
Air Asia, which flies to Kota Kinabalu and Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia, brought to Clark 88,385 passengers and flew out 81,673.
Tiger Airways of Singapore had 513 arriving flights with 69,230 passenger and 482 departures with 62,895 passengers.
“The numbers say it all. That the flights and passenger traffic at the DMIA rose when all around the globe a downtrend in the aviation industry is being experienced showed the continuing viability of Clark as an aviation center, as well as the undiminished confidence of industry players of its potentials for further growth and development,” CIAC President-CEO Victor Jose Luciano said.
Luciano disclosed that investor confidence in Clark “is manifested anew” with the start of the Clark-Bahrain-Clark flight of the Spirit of Manila Airlines in December 2009 and the upcoming international passenger flights of Thai Air Asia to Bangkok and Phuket in Thailand; Air Asia Indonesia to Bali and Jakarta, Indonesia; Jetstar Airways to Singapore; and Spirit of Manila Airlines to Taipei, Taiwan and the Middle East.
“All this augurs well for the ultimate realization of the potential of the DMIA as truly the premier international gateway of the Philippines,” Luciano said.
A report from the Clark International Airport Corp. (CIAC) showed a total of 2,564 international flights arrived at the DMIA carrying 285,804 passengers. Departures numbered 2,568 flights with 278,010 passengers.
In 2008, arriving international flights numbered 2,037 with 245.241 passengers, with departures at 2,038 flights and 245,507 passengers.
Only a slight increase though is noted in domestic flights: 570 arrivals with 20,013 passengers; and 575 departures with 19,668 passengers.
The 2008 data for the same category showed 554 arrivals with 14,763 passengers; and 559 departures with 13, 771 passengers.
Five airlines serve the international route while three serve the domestic market. Zest Air which serves both routes started its operations only in the last quarter of 2008 but managed 36 international arrivals with 1,528 passengers and 36 departures with 1,616 passengers.
Cebu Pacific, Asia’s third largest carrier, registered the highest number of Clark flights: 888 arrivals and 894 departures international, 167 arrivals and 167 departures domestic.
A total of 166,000 international flyers, and 27,041 domestic passengers were ferried by Cebu Pacific.
Asiana, the only full-service international carrier servicing DMIA, registered 397 arrivals with 43,934 passengers; and 426 departures with 43,003 passengers.
Air Asia, which flies to Kota Kinabalu and Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia, brought to Clark 88,385 passengers and flew out 81,673.
Tiger Airways of Singapore had 513 arriving flights with 69,230 passenger and 482 departures with 62,895 passengers.
“The numbers say it all. That the flights and passenger traffic at the DMIA rose when all around the globe a downtrend in the aviation industry is being experienced showed the continuing viability of Clark as an aviation center, as well as the undiminished confidence of industry players of its potentials for further growth and development,” CIAC President-CEO Victor Jose Luciano said.
Luciano disclosed that investor confidence in Clark “is manifested anew” with the start of the Clark-Bahrain-Clark flight of the Spirit of Manila Airlines in December 2009 and the upcoming international passenger flights of Thai Air Asia to Bangkok and Phuket in Thailand; Air Asia Indonesia to Bali and Jakarta, Indonesia; Jetstar Airways to Singapore; and Spirit of Manila Airlines to Taipei, Taiwan and the Middle East.
“All this augurs well for the ultimate realization of the potential of the DMIA as truly the premier international gateway of the Philippines,” Luciano said.
