Passengers, mostly OFWs from Central and Northern Luzon flock to the Qatar Airways check-in counter at the departure wing of the Clark International Airport.
PHOTOCOURTESY OF CIAC-CORPORATE COMMUNICATIONS OFFICE
CLARK FREEPORT – With Emirates airlines withdrawing its regular flights here, Qatar Airways is reportedly enjoying
full booking for its regular flights between Clark and Doha, amid increasing demand from overseas Filipino workers based in the Middle East.
“An increasing number of OFWs in the Middle East now prefer Clark flights for their vacations,” said Clark International Airport Corporation (CIAC) President-CEO Victor Jose Luciano, noting the steady increase in demand for Qatar Airways flights since they were launched on October 28, 2013.
Luciano also noted that more OFWs on vacation or are leaving for jobs in the Middle East for the first time are taking off at Clark via Qatar Airways. He attributed this to the signifi cant number of OFWs whose families are in Central and Northern Luzon provinces.
Qatar Airways is currently using their Airbus 330 with a capacity of 305 passengers. The carrier was awarded Best Airline in the World in 2011 and 2012 by SkyTrax. Luciano also noted that even OFWs based in Metro Manila now seem to favor Clark as departure and arrival point.
Metro Manila resident Emily Torralba who works in Qatar, said it takes her less time to reach the Clark International Airport here than the Ninoy Aquino International Airport because of traffi c congestion in the metropolis. “Clark Airport is more convenient for me since I travel from Metro Manila and it only takes me an hour to catch my flight,” she stressed.
Baguio City resident Romeo Araullo also an OFW in Doha, urged Qatar Airways to add more flights between Clark and Doha to cope with increasing demand. Former Punto editor Joselito Aguilar who works as a staff reporter of Gulf Times in Qatar said that “Clark International Airport is now dubbed airport of the north among OFWs in Qatar.”
Luciano said Clark airport facilities are currently undergoing rehabilitation and upgrading to boost the airport’s role as the alternative airport for the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) in Metro Manila. The new passenger terminal building has already been completed and is in full operation.
It can accommodate four million passengers annually, up from the former two million capacity. It has 34 check-incounters, 24 immigration counters and increased its area from 8,587 square meters to 18,573 square meters.
CIAC spent P417 million for the construction of the Phase 2 expansion project. The Department of Transportation and Communication (DOTC) has tapped the services of the French firm Aeroports De Paris for a feasibility study to further upgrade the airport here.
The study also includes the design of the proposed P7.2 billion low cost carrier terminal designed to accommodate 10 million passengers annually. Other airlines operating at Clark Airport include, Cebu Pacific Air, Tiger Air Philippines, Asiana Airlines, Dragonair, Jin Air, and Seair-International.
