CLARK FREEPORT – “Why are we underutilizing Clark (airport) when there is a demand?
”This was the question posed by Rep. Joseller “Yeng” Guiao (1st District- Pampanga) to the Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) during the congressional hearing at the House of Representatives on Wednesday regarding the chaos that unfolded at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) last Christmas.
The flight delays and cancellations from December 24 to 26 at the NAIA underscored once again the immediate need for an alternate airport, Guaio said.
Guiao urged the immediate use of the Clark International Airport (CIA) during the hearing by persuading airlines, government agencies and the general public to use it, saying: “We have a total of 1 million passengers a year in Clark when we can accommodate 4 to 5 million passengers.”
CAAP (Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines) as the regulator and DOTC should exert some influence over the airlines to put some flights into Clark because there are passengers there coming from Central Luzon, Ilocos, CAR, the eastern part of Luzon and even those from the northern part of Metro Manila because it is easier to go to Clark than NAIA,” Guiao added.
“We are not only helping people from central and northern Luzon but also in Metro Manila if we use Clark because we are decongesting NAIA,” he furthered.
“We are just wondering why not too many flights are being given to the CIA?” he asked.
Guiao also said during the visit of Pope Francis, “we have to cancel around 300 flights because of the no-fly zone. But even if only a fraction of those flights were diverted to Clark and the passengers will be asked that they have that option, I’m sure they would have opted for Clark.”
Guaio said the DOTC should already anticipate ahead of time the se of the CIA in the coming peak seasons by making the CIA as an option. A total of 10,442 passengers of Cebu Pacific faced flight delays and cians”.
In the Gen. Tinio case, plaintiffs Aranas and Arlan Esteban and counsel lawyer Anicia Concepcion Marquez, sought the opening of the ballot boxes in Clustered Precincts No. 29 and 30 at Barangay Pias and Clustered Precinct No. 19 at Barangay Concepcion after the May 13, 2013 elections.
They wanted to prove that the cancellations from December 24 to 26 due to personnel issues, bad weather, and air traffic congestion. According to Guiao, the congestion at the NAIA could have been addressed if the use of the Clark airport was fully maximized.
A “twin airport system” for both NAIA and Clark airport to decongest the NAIA was proposed in 2013, but Guiao said the suggestion was just “lip service.” “Walang nangyayari sa twin airport system na ‘yan. It’s just on paper.
It is not being considered in terms of influencing airlines and passengers to go to Clark,” he said. The general manager of the Manila International Airport Authority Jose Angel Honrado said there are “operational hurdles” that prevent the transfer of some NAIA operations to the Clark airport. He did not explain though what he meant.
