CLARK FREEPORT – The announcement of Cebu Pacific (CEB) that it will be the first Philippine carrier to mount flights between Clark and Narita in Tokyo starting August 9 was met with euphoria by Kapampangans, travel agents and Clark locators.
Clark Investors and Locators Association (CILA) president Frankie Villanueva said: “We are delighted that Cebu Pacific is launching the Clark-Narita route as it enhances our connectivity to one of the world’s greatest metropolis and brings Metro Clark closer to becoming the main gateway of the country and the epicenter for economic development.”
Agnes “Neki” Liwanag, Widus Hotel and Casino assistant vice president, described it as “a welcome development.” Liwanag said this will “augur well for the industry in this freeport as it opens up another market and better opportunities.”
Gilda L. Padua of Ties That Travel, former president of the Association of Travel Agencies of Pampanga, has this to say: “This has been our clamor in the travel industry for many years now. This is very good news for people in the North especially us travel agents.”
Padua said, “Narita is another attractive addition to our products. We can now create packages to Narita using our very own Clark airport.”
She added that “the increase of flights for Clark airport will create positive economic and social impact in the North. The travelers need not travel all the way to Manila to fly and connect.”
She also expressed optimism that “the new route will be sustained… We can all help promote this new route of CebPac to Narita to areas like Novaliches, Valenzuela and Quezon City, where travelers there prefer to fl y out of Clark.”
On Wednesday, CEB announced its direct service to and from Narita, Japan via the Diosdado Macapagal International Airport (DMIA) here beginning August 9.
In a statement, CEB said it continues to grow its hub in Clark with its new international route which aims to harness the potential market of leisure travelers from Central and North Luzon; provide more travel options for Filipino migrant workers; and expand opportunities for inbound tourists as well as investors in the Clark, Subic and other special economic zones in the area.
“There is so much untapped potential in Clark, and we are committed to expanding our Clark hub to expand tourism, trade and investment opportunities. This will open up the areas around Clark to more investors and entrepreneurs,” said Candice Iyog, vice president for marketing and distribution of Cebu Pacific.
Flights between Clark and Narita will run four times weekly (Monday, Wednesday, Friday, Sunday) beginning August 9. The flight departs Clark at 7 a.m.—giving tourists ample time to reach Tokyo by early afternoon; while the return flight leaves Narita at 1:15 p.m. (Tokyo time) and arrives at 5 p.m., which allows for land travel to neighboring provinces.
Iloilo, Bacolod, Puerto Princesa
CEB has also announced that it would begin direct flights between its hubs in Clark and Iloilo; as well as between Clark and Bacolod on August 9; as well as daily flights between Clark and Puerto Princesa in Palawan by October 9.
The four new routes will boost CEB’s total capacity in Clark by 40 percent in 2019 alone, following a 75 percent increase in 2018 with the launch of direct commercial air service to and from Davao and Panglao (Bohol), as well as additional frequency for the Clark-Macau route.
Seats on the new Clark-Narita route of Cebu Pacific will be sold for as low as P2,099 base fare from April 2 to 9, 2019. Travel period is from August 9 to October 26, 2019.
With a population of over 23 million in its catchment area, the DMIA is one of Asia’s fastest-growing airports, with passenger volume reaching about 2.5 million in 2018.
CEB has been operating flights in and out of Clark since 2006. From its Clark hub, the carrier has direct flights to Cebu, Caticlan, Tagbilaran, Davao, Singapore, Macau and Hong Kong.
“With direct air service between Clark and Narita, it will be easier for Japanese tourists to access destinations in Pampanga, Pangasinan, Baguio, La Union and the rest of Luzon. Conversely, it will also be easier for residents in these areas to enjoy Tokyo, with a direct flight from Clark,” Iyog said.
Japan is one of the Philippines’ top sources of inbound tourists, with 631,801 Japanese visiting the country in 2018. The Department of Tourism has also intensified its campaigns—including Joshi Tabi [Women’s Travel] program, to entice Japanese tourists to visit the Philippines.
Aside from Clark, Cebu Pacific operates fl ights out of six other strategically placed hubs in the Philippines: Manila, Kalibo, Iloilo, Cebu, Cagayan de Oro (Laguindingan) and Davao.
In 2018, CEB flew 20.3 million passengers on over 2,130 weekly flights across 37 domestic and 26 international destinations.
