CLARK FREEPORT – The country’s flag carrier, Philippine Airlines (PAL), has opened three more routes from the Diosdado Macapagal International Airport (DMIA) here.
On Thursday, PAL Express president Bonifacio U. Sam announced at the Hilltop Restaurant at the Mimosa complex here that the airline is mounting flights to San Vicente (Palawan) and San Jose (Mindoro) beginning October 28 and Cauayan (Isabela) starting October 30, all from the DMIA here.
With this development, Sam said Clark is now PAL’s hub for services to Palawan, Isabela and Mindoro as it continues to expand its hub network of flights from the DMIA.
“PAL made a big decision to invest in Clark. The Clark International Airport (now renamed DMIA) is not just a stopover or refueling station. Clark is our fastest growing hub airport, center of a network of flights that connects the country,” said Sam.
He stressed that all three routes, operated by the certified 4-Star flag carrier, are historic “first-ever” milestones, and all will utilize PAL’s brand-new 86-seater Bombardier Next-Generation Q400 turboprop aircraft which are fitted with six “Economy Plus premium seats” and 80 roomy “Economy Class regular seats.”
Sam said the PAL flights to San Vicente will commence with five weekly flights (Monday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday) and will increase to daily flights by December 18.
Flights depart DMIA at 7 a.m., arriving in San Vicente one hour and forty minutes later.
Sam said PAL is pioneering regular flights to the newly opened airport at San Vicente, a firstclass municipality and gateway to El Nido in northern Palawan. San Vicente’s 14-kilometer long white sand beach is a fast-emerging tourist attraction. From San Vicente, El Nido is only two hours away by land, unlike its regular route from Puerto Princesa which makes it six hours away.
Meanwhile, San Jose in Occidental Mindoro will have four weekly flights on Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday, leaving DMIA at 11 a.m. The return flight departs San Jose at 12:05 noon.
Vacation spots in San Jose include Aroma beach, Ambulong and White islands, ancient burial caves and shell divers at Ilin island and the Mt. Iglit National Park.
Sam said starting Oct. 30, three times weekly flights (Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday) to Cauayan in the center of Isabela are intended to help hasten economic growth in the country’s second biggest province.
The Q400NG will leave Clark at 11 a.m., arriving at Cauayan 45 minutes later.
It can be recalled that PAL used to fl y the Manila- San Jose and Manila-Cauayan routes several decades back as two of the so-called missionary routes operated out of Manila.
The decision to make DMIA here as the origin for new routes to Mindoro and Isabela is a reflection of the flag carrier’s confidence in the emerging popularity of Central Luzon as an economic center and strategically important aviation gateway in its own right, Sam said.
“I would like to thank the people of Pampanga, Tarlac and the surrounding provinces for supporting our flights here. Our operations would not have grown to this magnitude if not for your support,” Sam said.
With a network of 18 domestic destinations and one international route (to Seoul Incheon), PAL has strengthened its position as the biggest airline operator out of Clark airport.
“No longer just an alternate aerodrome to help decongest Manila’s Ninoy Aquino International Airport, Clark is now recognized as PAL’s fastest growing hub airport,” said Sam.
Sam also said Clark has overtaken Cebu – another PAL hub of operations – in number of domestic points linked: 15 domestic destinations from Cebu, 18 from Clark.
PAL started developing the Clark hub in December 2016 with a flight to Caticlan. The first PAL international flight from Clark was to Incheon, South Korea, in January 2017.
The Q400NG flights are operated by PAL’s affiliate airline PAL Express.
