THE BEST airport in the country in terms of flight punctuality.
That is the Clark International Airport, so recognized with “an impressive” two-star On-Time Performance (OTP) Rating by the United Kingdom-based air intelligence company Official Aviation Guide (OAG).
The OTP Star Rating is a global accreditation program of OAG that recognizes excellent flight punctuality performance across all airports and airlines regardless of size, geographic location, or aviation peer group. So explained a press release from the Clark International Airport Corp. (CIAC).
The Ninoy Aquino International Airport, the Iloilo International Airport, and the Mactan-Cebu International Airport – all established way ahead of Clark – were awarded too – with one-star OTP ratings.
It was Clark’s annual OTP of 71.3 percent in 2018, covered within OAG’s rating period, that capped the two-star performance, obviously way above the best the other recognized Philippine airports had accomplished.
“The unprecedented rating is a testament to Clark’s competency in providing exceptional air services,” enthused CIAC president-CEO Jaime Alberto Melo.
For his part, Mayur Patel, OAG regional sales director for Japan and Asia-Pacific region commended the Clark airport management and said OAG will “look forward to their next set of results in 2019 showing the benefit of the hard work undertaken by the management team.”
In the elation and enthusiasm over the Clark airport’s “unprecedented” double-star prize, let it not be forgotten the man under whose watch the CIA virtually soared to the stars with the increase in the number of airlines, the addition of destinations, the multiplication of passenger traffic. Not to mention the commencement of the construction of the long-promised new worldclass airport terminal.
Indeed, the man who instituted the monitoring of OTP of every flight; the regular dialog with airlines on the improvement of their OTP, always offering – and extending – full assistance whenever needed; the monitoring of passenger processing as well. The last even earning the CIA an ISO certification in passenger facilitation.
Melo has said that the two-star OTP rating “is indeed a welcome development as Clark airport celebrates its 24th anniversary this month.”
It is as much a celebration of the legacy of the CIAC presidency of Alexander S. Cauguiran.
