ALL AGOG EXCEPT… AirAsia’s Tony Fernandes, Maan Hontiveros and Tony Boy Cojuangco are joined by Transportation Secretary Mar Roxas in holding miniature plane to signal launch of the airline at the CIA.
Seemingly unmindful on the excitement is CIAC’s Victor Jose Luciano.
PHOTO BY RIC GONZALES
CLARK FREEPORT – The entry of more Low Cost Carriers (LCCs) to the roster of airlines plying Clark skies has highlighted the inefficiencies of CIAC President Victor “Chichos” Luciano in managing the Clark International Airport here.
This was the observation of businessman Ruperto Cruz, who chairs the advocacy group Pinoy Gumising Ka Movement (PGKM), following the announcement of new domestic flights by two new players in the Clark airport’s LCC industry – Philippines AirAsia and AirPhil Express.
While Cruz welcomes the entry of AirAsia and AirPhil Express, the PGKM president underscored Luciano’s apparent “lack of interest” in utilizing the facilities of the Clark airport.
Cruz was specifically referring to the more than P300-million passenger terminal, which he described as “white elephant” and “overpriced bus stop.”
He said despite the amount used to build a new passenger terminal and to purchase brand new aerobridges, passengers at the Clark International Airport are still asked to use the old terminal and worn-out tubes made out of plywood.
Cruz echoed the observations of several passengers and participants of the recently held maiden flight to Davao launched by AirAsia last March 28.
During the maiden flight, Cruz said passengers were allowed to use the passenger terminal’s brand new aerobridges. But in the return flight, some passengers noted that the new passenger terminal was already closed leaving them to enter the arrival area through the old wooden tubes.
“Why does Luciano keep on using the new passenger terminal only for maiden flights?”
asked Cruz, who also questioned the exorbitant terminal fees being charged at the Clark airport.
“For all the exorbitant terminal fees at the Clark airport, passengers still have to walk outside the terminal after passing through a conked-out plywood tube in order to get to the aircraft,” Cruz said.
Cruz also underscored Luciano’s acquisition of a P1-billion loan with the Land Bank of the Philippines, which will be used for the expansion of the Phase II of the passenger terminal to meet the demands of passenger growth due to the increase of international and domestic flights this year.
The PGKM president also lashed again at Transportation Sec. Mar Roxas, who, during the AirAsia Clark-Davao maiden flight, announced plans of President Benigno Simeon C. Aquino III Aquino to pursue a P12- billion Budget Terminal here.
According to Roxas, “President Aquino will support plans to set up a P12-billion Budget Terminal and other infrastructure projects due to the growth of passengers as well as the entry of new low cost carriers at Clark Airport.”
But Cruz raised his suspicions saying the funds might be used for politicking instead of their supposed purpose.
“If the transportation department is really bent on developing the Central Luzon region by utilizing the Clark airport, then why won’t Roxas consider the construction of a high-speed railway rather than focus on a budget terminal,” said Cruz.
“If the newly-built passenger terminal is consistently underused, what’s the point of improving it if it is not being utilized to its full potentials?”
Cruz said the government should, instead, “strongly consider” the proposal of business magnate Manny V. Pangilinan, which he described as the “ideal investor” since his proposal that is similar to that of Roxas’s projects, “contains the total package.”
Cruz was referring to Pangilinan’s development plans for the Clark airport, which includes a railway project that will traverse the middle section of the North Luzon Expressway.
“Pangilinan’s proposal has the holistic approach to the development of the Clark airport. And he is a Kapampangan and he possesses a reputation of investing in successful business ventures,” said Cruz, who lauded Pangilinan for his plan for Clark.