Clark International Airport Corp. (CIAC) president and chief executive officer Alex Cauguiran noted yesterday that last year, a total of 122,473 OFWs flew to their jobs abroad from the Clark airport and that last January and October, a total of 112,930 OFW’s also took off from Clark for their foreign jobs.
Rendy Isip, spokesperson of CIAC, noted that while Manila is nearer Visayas and Mindanao, travel from the domestic airport to the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) could take as long as three hours.
“With the launch of domestic and international flights starting December by the Philippine Airlines (PAL), as well as the increased flight frequencies by other carriers such as Cebu Pacific and other international airlines catering to OFWs, foreign-bound Filipino workers could avoid the monstrous traffic going to the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) by flying from Clark,” Cauguiran said.
Cauguiran urged even OFWs from the Visayas and Midanao to skirt the “monstrous traffic” in Metro Manila by taking domestic flights directly to Clark for connecting flights to foreign destinations.
He noted that Clark airport hosts regular international flights of Emirates, which will resume its daily flights to Dubai starting December; Qatar Airlines with daily flights to Doha; Dragonair with daily flights to Hong Kong; Tiger Air with regular flights to Singapore; and Jin Air, Busan with daily flights to South Korea.
Cauguiran also said Cebu Pacific here has regular flights to Macau, Hong Kong and Singapore.
“Clark is currently averaging 114 domestic and international flights weekly from these carriers,” he stressed.
“A one-stop-shop for OFWs is near the Clark airport within the Clark Freeport, to provide for all the government services needed by OFWs,” he added.
“Clark offers a less stressful departure and arrival point not only for OFWs and other travelers, that could also help ease traffic in Metro Manila, particularly on roads leading to the airport,” Cauguiran said.
Cauguiran said PAL will fly daily from here to Incheon next year, on top of domestic flights to Caticlan, Cebu, Davao, Cagayan de Oro and Busuanga.
