CLARK FREEPORT – The Clark International Airport Corp. (CIAC) reported yesterday a 62 percent surge in passenger volume of international and domestic flights in this year’s first quarter, compared with the same period in 2012.
CIAC president and chief executive officer Victor Jose Luciano cited data indicating 408,895 passengers from January to March this year, as against only 252,163 passengers in the same months last year.
“In January alone, Clark International Airport (CIA) posted 153,920 passengers compared to the 89,701 passengers in 2012. In February, there were 123,349 passengers, as against merely 78,408 passengers in February last year,” Luciano noted.
He also reported that last March, a total of 131,626 passengers were recorded, also much higher than 84,054 passengers in the same month in 2012.
Luciano attributed the increase of passengers at Clark airport to the increase of international flights at Clark.
“We expect the passenger volume to further increase as we are anticipating the start of the Emirates non-stop daily flights between Dubai and Clark this October 1, “ he said.
Luciano noted that the Emirates airlines alone would bring in more passengers at CIA, as he cited the airlines as “one of the fastest growing airlines wordwide.”
“Emirates will be utilizing its Boeing 777-300ERs aircraft with a passenger capacity of 437,” he stressed.
Luciano said CIAC is about to build the P360-million Phase ll expansion project at the CIA terminal for the operation of Emirates here. “One aerobridge will be replaced with two-finger tube that will accommodate two aircraft at the same time,” he noted.
The existing CIA terminal can only accommodate two million passengers annually, but the new passenger terminal expansion would boost this capacity from four to five million passengers yearly.
“The expansion project is expected to be completed by September 2013,” Luciano added.
CIA posted 1.3 million passengers in 2012 and this has made the airport one of the fastest growing airports in the country today, Luciano said.
He said CIAC has also proposed the construction of a new “budget passenger terminal” for approval of the Department of Transportation and Communication (DOTC).
“The project would cost about P12 billion and would serve at least 10 million passengers annually. It would be similar to the Kuala Lumpur Budget Passenger Terminal in Malaysia,” Luciano added.
CIA is now hub for various airlines, such as Air Asia Berhad of Malaysia, Air Asia Philippines, PAL Express, Seair-Tiger, Cebu Pacific Air, Jin Air, Asiana Airlines and Dragonair.
