KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia – Clark International Airport Corp. (CIAC) President and CEO Victor Jose Luciano described as “historic” the inaugural flight of Philippines’AirAsia to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia via Clark on Saturday.
“AirAsia is responsible for what Clark is today. Clark is the world’s fastest growing airport nowadays. This flight is historic,” said Luciano in stressing the confidence that the AirAsia group had displayed over the years.
Luciano disclosed that the AirAsia Berhad was the first-ever budget airline to start operations at the CIA in 2005, offering daily flights to Kuala Lumpur and later to Kota Kinabalu. It’s a sister company of Philippines’ AirAsia.
In his send-off speech at the Clark International Airport (CIA), Luciano added that “we expect to grow 100 percent this year.”
Luciano noted that international passenger volume increased to 31 percent or 355,034 from January to May this year compared to 270,900 last year.
He also cited the growth of domestic passenger volume to 73,791 from the period of January to May 15 this year compared with the 16,918 of the same period last year.
Low cost carrier (LCC) Philippines’ AirAsia on Saturday launched its first international destination and offered the second daily flights to Malaysia’s capital city via the CIA.
AirAsia CEO Marianne Hontiveros joined 130 other passengers at the inaugural flight that left Clark at 3:15 p.m. and arrived at the Low Cost Terminal (LCT) here at about 6:40 p.m., some 20 minutes ahead of schedule.
For her part, Hontiveros said: “The additional frequency to Kuala Lumpur provides yet another link for Filipinos and Malaysians to our amazing beaches and natural wonders in Puerto Princesa, Kalibo, Davao and here in Central Luzon.
If we are able to draw even a fraction from Malaysia’s 24.5 million tourists, this will impact on our tourist arrival record for 2012, which means more jobs, more food on the table, more opportunities for every Filipino.”
AirAsia also started its Davao and Kalibo flights last March 28 and Puerto Princesa on April 20.
Hontiveros said their airline’s second international flight will be Clark to HongKong in July.
“When Tony Fernandes, the man who built AirAsia, came in March to attend our domestic launch, the Philippines, according to Tony, was the last piece on AiAsia’s ASEAN jigsaw puzzle. Indeed, we are, and we are about to shake up air travel and tourism in the region,” said Hontiveros.
She thanked Tourism Malaysia for helping them provide familiarization tours and five-star hotel accommodations to their guests, including journalists and bloggers.
