CLARK FREEPORT – Small Philippine flags will be waved, rondallas will play festive native music, and firetruck hoses will let flow water in a welcoming arc as Emirate Airlines’ widebody aircraft lands here at 4 p.m. Oct. 1, carrying mostly overseas Filipino workers on its first of daily Dubai-Clark-Dubai flights.
“We at Emirates have always seen the need of our kababayans from Northern Luzon who have to travel three or more hours just to get to Manila, so we decided to open up a new hub in Clark International Airport,” Emirates Philippines country manager Gigie Baroa said in press briefing here yesterday.
Baroa noted that “whether they are business savvy individuals or OFWs, they are now assured a convenience of flights through our newroute.” The Clark International Airport Corp. (CIAC) which manages the Clark International Airport (CIA) said the pilot of the inaugural Emirates wide-bodied aircraft is expected to wave the Philippine flag from his cockpit soon after landing here, amid arcs of water from firetruck hoses.
Baroa said Emirates’ first daily flight here on Oct. 1 has almost been fully booked and would unload mostly OFW’s whose families reside in provinces north of Metro Manila. She said the same aircraft is expected to fly back with another batch of passengers back to Dubai.
Baroa said Emirates is expected to open to tourists “travel and leisure opportunities, especially for international travelers who would like to explore another side of the Philippines apart from Metro Manila.”
Emirates, one of the fastest growing airlines in the world, has received more than 500 international awards for excellence and has over 9 million worldwide members of Skywards, the airline’s frequent flyer programme.
It fl ies to 134 destinations in 76 countries and operates 203 wide-body Airbus and Boeing aircraft.
The airline has orders for an additional 190 aircraft, worth more than USD$71 billion. Renowned for its excellence in service and innovation, both on board and on the ground, Emirates holds an impressive array of prestigious awards most recently including, the ‘Best Airline Food and Wine’ by Frequent Business Traveler and the highly coveted 2013 ‘World’s Best Airline’ award presented by Skytrax.
