Tough times as the Covid-19 pandemic wrought on the economy, impacted yet by the surge in fuel prices which dominoed on the basic commodities and services that contracted, if not altogether shuttered many a business; tougher though stood, indeed excelled, in 2022 five enterprises, continuing on a trajectory to even higher achievements in 2023. The Editor
HONGKONG, BANGKOK. Singapore. Macau. Tokyo. Multiple times weekly.
Caticlan. Davao. Cebu. Iloilo. Bacolod. General Santos. Cagayan de Oro. Puerto Princesa. Multiple times weekly, likewise.
February 27’s announcement by Cebu Pacific of the destinations it shall serve starting March from the Clark International Airport was a first in the history of the aviation industry in the country – for the airline too – if only for the sheer number of fights ticked off in a single event.
CEB is also getting three additional aircraft which will be based in Clark, on top of the 10 new Airbus NEO aircraft that will be delivered in 2023 to expand the airline’s entire fleet.
As much an affirmation of CEB as the Philippines’ leading carrier and largest airline servicing Northern and Central Luzon, as recognition of the CRK as premier gateway made most manifest there.
Transportation Secretary Jaime Bautista said so himself: “This would steer the transport sector, specifically the aviation industry, toward full recovery. The increased connectivity from Clark will also help develop the station as a premiere hub for aviation and international logistics in the Asia-Pacific region.”
Averred CEB president and CCO Xander Lao: “It allows us to boost our third operating hub in the Philippines that will help generate economic opportunities to support the country’s growth agenda.”
Data from the International Air Transport Association show that every job in the air transport industry supports 29 other jobs in tourism, supply chain and other related sectors. This means that with CEB hiring at least 140 pilots, cabin crew, and on-ground staff for its CRK hub, over 4,000 jobs for the locals can be produced.
The Philippine Airlines has not lagged either in boosting CRK this year, flying to Caticlan and Busuanga (Coron, Palawan) in April.
Sunlight Air opens flight to Coron in April too.
This March, Eva Air is poised to start its CRK-Taipei run, allowing connections to the rest of Asia, North America, and Europe.
Noel Manankil, CEO of the Luzon International Premier Airport Development (LIPAD) that operates CRK, sees this increase in flights “not just positive signs of recovery by the travel industry but also of the attraction of the use of the new CRK terminal to travelers.”
Indeed, the Covid-19 pandemic not only spoiled the grand celebration for the opening of the spanking new terminal but, more so, grounded the CRK to a veritable standstill, but for the Middle Eastern carriers that enabled the country to bring home OFWs who would have been stuck in their places of work during the pandemic.
With the relaxation of travel restrictions, particularly in 2022, CRK commenced its own take off to the skies anew.
CRK recorded a 282.2% growth, with a 521.7% increase in domestic passengers and a 255.57% increase in international passengers over the same period in 2021.
There was a total of 16% growth vis-a-vis pre-pandemic figures.
A significant surge in passenger traffic was recorded, averaging to 4,000 per day by January 2023.
Presently, CRK hosts 71 international and 27 domestic flights weekly.
International carriers include Qatar Airways for Doha; Emirates for UAE; Jeju Air and Jin Air for Jeju, Busan, and Incheon; Philippine Airlines for Seoul; Gangwon for Yangyang Airport; Scoot and Jetstar for Singapore.
The local carriers are Cebu Pacific bound to Cebu; AirAsia and Royal Air both for Caticlan; and AirSwift for El Nido.
Noted Manankil: “With the resumption of pre-pandemic Cebu Pacific flights and the introduction of new routes, travelers may now seamlessly connect international and domestic destinations from this world-class terminal.”
Open, wide, blue skies beckon at Clark anew.
