CLARK FREEPORT – With work on the controversial North Luzon railways aborted by the government, the Clark International Airport Corp. (CIAC) is eyeing the use of more buses and even small planes to ferry passengers from Metro Manila and Nothern Luzon provinces to the airport here.
“In Japan, it took 15 years to finally establish a railways system between Narita airport and Tokyo,” said CIAC president and chief executive officer Victor Jose Luciano with apparent reference to the failure of the government to finish a modern railway system between the Clark International Airport (CIA) and Metro Manila.
The Aquino administration earlier aborted construction work on the railway as initiated by former Pres. Arroyo, amid alleged anomalies. Plans to renegotiate the project with China, which provided funds for it during the past administration, have not taken off the ground.
During a visit here last year, the President said Clark was too far at 80 kilometers from Metro Manila, noting that in other countries, the farthest distance of a primary airport from the capital was only 40 kilometers.
Luciano said, however, the lack of a fast railways system could in the meantime be filled up by efficient bus and airplane service between Clark and Metro Manila and Northern Luzon provinces.
Already, regular bus services for Metro-Manila based passengers ply routes from Trinoma mall in Makati City to the airport here, costing only P200 per person.
“Many Metro Manila folk prefer to fly from Clark because of our budget airlines. Plane tickets here could cost 30 percent lower than fares of airlines flying from the Manila airport,” Luciano said, noting that about half of passengers of the airport here are from Metro Manila.
“We also plan to have so-called air taxis or small aircraft that can accommodate about 20 people so we can ferry them to Clark for their flights not only to other countries but also to other destinations south of our country,” he said.
Luciano said that plan is for these air taxis to have regular flights to Tuguegarao, Vigan, Laoag, Basco, Baguio and Poro Point to pick up passengers there. He said plans for this is now being negotiated with Asian Airspace.
Last November, CIAC counted the local airport’s five-millionth passenger since CIA started operations in this freeport in 2003.
“It is a phenomenal growth for Clark Airport, as we expect more passengers and airlines to come in the coming years,” Luciano said.
“The start of commercial flight operations in 2003 revolutionized travel and tourism in Clark and set-off an influx of Korean tourists in the country, boosting tourist arrivals in Central and Northern Luzon,” he said.
Clark Airport is the only airport in the country that has eight budget carriers: AirAsia Philippines, AirAsia Berhad of Malaysia, South East Asian Airlines (Seair) in partnership with Tiger Airways of Singapore, Cebu Pacific Air, Jin Air, Airphil Express and Zest Air, while full-service carriers include Asiana Airlines and Hong Kong-based Dragonair.
The CIA was recently chosen as “3rd Best Airport Zone” in the world by the London-based Financial Times Group. It was also named the “Low Cost Airport of the Year” in 2006 by the Centre for Asia Pacific Aviation (CAPA) and also got the “Airport of the Year” award for 2007 by the Frost & Sullivan held at the Asia Pacific Aerospace & Defense Awards Banquet in Singapore.
At the same time, Luciano also said Singapore’s SIA Engineering Philippines has broken ground for the construction of two more hangars to boost its already existing maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) service facility here.
The hangars will accommodate twin-aisle aircraft such as the B747 and B777 in addition to the existing hangar, established in 2009, that services narrow-bodied aircrafts. SIA Engineering is a joint venture project between SIA Engineering of Singapore and Cebu Pacific Air.
On June 5, last year, Hong Kong-based aviation company Metrojet Engineering, the leading business jet operator in Asia, inaugurated its $40-million MRO facility at the aviation complex in this Freeport.
The CIAC management has also proposed to officials of the Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) the setup of a Budget LCC Terminal that would initially accommodate an approximate 10 million passengers annually.
“The proposed Budget LCC Terminal will be similar to the budget terminal at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport in Malaysia,” Luciano added.
