CLARK FREEPORT – Newly installed president and CEO of the Clark International Airport Corp. (CIAC) Emigdio “Dino” Tanjuatco has urged the national government to make an unequivocal declaration of the Clark International Airport (CIA) as a premiere gateway under a dual airport system.
“This will significantly boost the confidence of airlines to establish regular flights at Clark,” Tanjuatco said during the “Balitaan” forum organized by the Capampangan in Media, Inc. (CAMI) in cooperation with the Clark Development Corp. (CDC) and the Social Security System (SSS) at the Bale Balita (House of News) here last Friday.
He cited the experience of Japan which has four international airports and the biggest, the Narita International Airport, is located some 60 kilometers east of central Tokyo. Tanjuatco said an executive order from President Aquino on such a declaration would be “fine” but a “strong statement” from the Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) would do.
He noted that the CIA has its own “catchment” area for potential passengers in the four regions north of Metro Manila, while the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) has the regions south of the metropolis. Tanjuatco cited a study indicating that some three million passengers from Central and Northern Luzon who fly via NAIA are either not aware of Clark flights or claim that Clark did not have flights to their destinations.
“We are targeting this three million people so we are pursuing plans to have a P1.2 billion low cost carrier terminal finished at Clark soonest,” he noted. The P1.2 billion is included in the General Appropriations for next year amid target to have the new terminal totally finished, if not operational, by the time President Aquino steps down in 2016, he said.
The new terminal would increase the Clark airport’s capacity to as much as eight million passengers annually, he added. Tanjuatco said CIAC is continuing with its “roadshow” campaign to make folk in Central and Northern Luzon aware of Clark flights and convince them that Clark is a better option than NAIA for its proximity and convenience of both travel and facilities.
