CLARK FREEPORT – Early signs of unprecedented tourism boom has been noted here amid a 38 percent increase in international passenger volume in the first two months of this year at the Clark International Airport (CIA) here.
Clark International Airport Corporation (CIAC) president and CEO Victor Jose Luciano described the increase as “significant”, that such rate would lead to unparalleled passenger volume since the airport was established here in 1994.
Luciano reported that international passenger volume at the CIA rose to 160,847 last January and February, a 38-percent increase over the 116,125 passengers in the same months last year.
“The growth in passenger volume has resulted in the growth of gross revenue earnings for the CIAC as well, increasing collections in January to P37.336 million or an increase of 24 percent over January 2011 collections of P29.9 million,” Luciano noted. Revenues generated in February were not immediately available.
Luciano also noted a 46 percent increase in income from passenger terminal fees amounting to P6.167 million so far this year.
The collection of gross revenues covers fees for landing and take-off, cargo and passenger flights, general aviation, passenger and security.
Revenues generated by non-aero activities, meanwhile, include fees for rent, business operations, parking, check-in, ground handling and miscellaneous, among other fees.
Luciano also revealed that the domestic passenger volume is also expected to increase in 2012 with the slated operations of four domestic flights by Airphil Express on March 29 to Cebu, Puerto Princesa, Davao and Kalibo.
He said AirAsia Philippines, a subsidiary of Malaysia’s Air Asia Berhad, will also launch domestic flights from its hub at the Clark airport to Davao and Kalibo on March 28 along with the slated May launching of domestic flights by South East Asian Airlines (Seair) to Kalibo as well as international flights from Clark to Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia and daily flights to Bangkok.
“CIAC is targeting to service close to one million passengers before the end of 2012,” he said.
