“We’re here again celebrating Air Asia’s newly-mounted domestic route to Davao via Clark, a celebration more meaningful as this route adds to passenger options to visit Davao – President Duterte’s hometown and now a favorite tourist destination,” Cauguiran said during a brief ceremony here.
PAA, which has been awarded the World’s Best Low Cost Carrier for eight consecutive years, will now have daily flights to the Francisco Bangoy International Airport in Davao City.
On Sunday, PAA’s A320 aircraft has a load of 179 passengers, one short of its 180-passenger capacity, according to Jenny Bugarin-Tan, PAA’s communications chief.
Judith Tolentino Joven, who was traveling with her mother Ter and son, said they are going to visit her son in Davao and excited to see President Duterte’s hometown.
Cauguiran said, “our travelers from Northern and Central Luzon are thankful because the new AirAsia Davao flights is a better option to visit Davao” without the hassles of going to and flying from Manila with its horrendous traffic.
“We are grateful to AirAsia for appreciating the huge potential of CIAC’s target passengers from the North and this will give a new dimension to our efforts to increase frequency to major destinations in the country,” he added.
Renovation
Meanwhile, Federico Garcia Jr., CIAC engineering department head, said the domestic passenger terminal building here will be undergoing a major renovation with anew flooring and ceiling being added as well as a canopy facing the tarmac.
He said to enhance the domestic terminal’s overall appearance, it will be repainted under a total construction package of P119 million.
Garcia said construction will begin next month and will be finished by August.
In addition, Garcia also said another gate will also be added to the building to make the passengers enter and exit using a one-way route in compliance with international standards.
Last March 27, PAA started mounting flights to Kalibo, Aklan from this airport which marked its comeback here after “temporarily” moving out in 2013.
