CLARK FREEPORT – This is good travel news for thousands of overseas Filipino workers in Hong Kong planning to spend Christmas with their families in Central Luzon.
Hong Kong Cathay Dragon Airlines Ltd. or Dragonair has announced increasing from four to six its weekly flights between this freeport and the former Crown colony in time for the Christmas rush this December.
“We are happy to inform you that Dragonair Clark station is now number one in the network of our airlines,” Dragonair country manager Rob Bradshaw told Clark International Airport Corp. (CIAC) president Alex Cauguiran in a meeting yesterday.
Cauguiran noted that Clark airport “is now drawing more international flights following the Duterte administration’s announcement of full utilization and improvement of the airport as an alternative to the crowded Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA).”
Bradshaw told Cauguiran “we are increasing our frequencies this December from four to six times weekly as we are expecting an increase in traffic at Clark Airport, and we are very much excited on the developments in Clark.”
He said Dragonair operations here has been ranked “number one in the whole Dragonair network in the world due to the increase in passenger traffi c of the airline in this freeport.”
Dragonair flies to 44 destinations in 13 countries. It has an Airbus Fleet of 41 aircraft consisting of A320s, A321s, A330s and B747 (Cargo).
Cauguiran told Bradshaw that Pres. Duterte himself has committed to expand and provide infrastructure support for the Clark airport.
He said the government is committed to establish a fast railway system between Clark and Metro Manila and to develop a new second passenger terminal at the airport.
This, as Bradshaw also revealed plans to rebrand Dragonair in the coming weeks. He said Dragonair will become Cathay Dragon, “symbolizing an alignment of the values that we hold in both brands.” Dragonair has Cathay Pacific as parent company.
“We hope this new brand will bolster demand especially for Clark Airport,” he added.
