CLARK FREEPORT – A Pampanga-based tour agency owner lauded the Clark International Airport Corp. (CIAC) for the January 15 launching of the bus service at Ayala-owned mall in Quezon City that will make land travel comfortable and reliable for the growing number of passengers at the Clark International Airport (CIA).
Gilda Padua, CEO of the SM City Clark-based Ties That Travel agency and two-time president of the Alliance of Travel and Tour Agencies of Pampanga (ATTAP), congratulated CIAC for the project.
“The CIA lounge at the TriNoma mall has made flying through Clark much more convenient,” she said.
Padua, who has actively supported projects to improve tourism in Pampanga, said tour operators could take part of this new development by providing passengers tours in Pampanga.
“Perhaps, we can start by showing the facts about Pampanga and all other provinces in North and Central Luzon what they can offer such as events and festivals through video presentation at the dedicated lounge,” said Padua. She added that the videos will entice the passengers and tourists to explore Pampanga and the rest of the areas north of Metro Manila.
The CIAC is expecting at least two million passengers for 2013 and preparations are underway to improve the connectivity of the airport via land travel from Metro Manila.
In a press statement on Sunday, CIAC President and CEO Victor Jose Luciano announced the opening of the Clark Airport Lounge at the TriNoma Mall in Quezon City.
The TriNoma-Clark Airport Lounge will provide dedicated buses directly to the Clark airport on a 24-hour basis.
Luciano earlier announced that there were some 1.3 million passengers that used the CIAC in 2012. He added that the CIA will “definitely” have more than two million passengers this year.
“Connectivity to Metro Manila will be much improved when a dedicated first class bus service will start plying the route TriNoma-Clark-TriNoma with affordable fare of only P200,” Luciano said.
Passengers earlier complained that “fares going to Clark are more expensive than the budget fares offered by airlines.”
Worse, they added, “fares are so high for public vehicles in Pampanga connecting to Clark.”
Luciano said that four bus firms will provide the transportation namely: Philtranco, Genesis, Victory Liner and Five Star.
“The Clark Airport Lounge is fully furnished located at the TriNoma Mall which is open 24/7 and passengers would have a taste of the first class amenities of the lounge. It is equipped with comfortable waiting area, secured luggage counter, and real-time flight status updates,” he added.
During the launching on Tuesday afternoon in Trinoma, The CIAC and TriNoma will sign a memorandum of agreement for the establishment of the Clark Airport Lounge that will provide service to passengers in Metro Manila and the rest of Southern Tagalog.
Among the airlines operating are Air Asia Philippines, Air Asia Berhad, Cebu Pacific Air, Seair-Tiger, Airphil Express, Jin Air, Zest Air, Asiana Airlines and Dragonair.
