Things are looking up for Clark, with the Clark International Airport acting as catalyst, pushing Central Luzon to new heights of economic growth.
CITY OF SAN FERNANDO — Things are finally moving fast and high for Clark. What used to be just one homogenous base of the United States Air Force, it has metamorphosed into several growth-oriented entities since the Americans left, driven by the massive dust-and-ash plumes of Mt. Pinatubo, and later, the menace called lahar.
The Clark we now know is more than huge and sprawling, all of 380 square kilometers of plain, hills and plateaus that is the chosen location of multinational factories, IT companies, top luxury hotels, integrated resorts and casinos, golf courses, government offices and the only international airport in Central Luzon.
We are convinced that recent developments and events are moving up for Clark Freeport Zone (CFZ) and Clark Special Economic Zone (CSEZ).
The Clark area now boasts of the Freeport zone, the Clark Global City, New Clark City, and the Clark International Airport (CRK). In this article, we will focus on the airport.
Exemplary performance
The Clark International Airport Corporation (CIAC) got a high rating in the performance scorecard by the Governance Commission for Government Owned or Controlled Corporations (GCG) last year, the Department of Transportation (DOTr) has announced.
Based on the GCG 2022 Performance Scorecard, the CIAC obtained 95.17 rating in reference to the revenues and employment from locators generated by the CIAC, number of lease agreements, customer satisfaction, and the manner of implementation of airport infrastructure projects.
The CIAC exercises regulatory supervision and oversight of activities occurring within the civil aviation complex, including the privately-run Clark International Airport.
CIAC President Arrey Perez wrote to Transportation Secretary Jaime Bautista saying the performance scorecard also includes CIAC’s earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA), budget utilization rate, the retention of its ISO Certification, the development of new normal initiatives, and the development of the CIAC Barcoding System.
“The CIAC continues to strengthen its commercial, engineering and corporate management teams to develop a globally-competitive service and logistics center at the aviation complex surrounding the Clark International Airport,” said Perez.
The GCG evaluates state-run firms through the Performance Evaluation System which provides the framework for setting the organizational targets of a GOCC which also serves as basis for determining the grant of performance-based incentives for employees.
Royal Air and other airlines
Travelers to Hong Kong from Metro Manila, Central Luzon and Northern Luzon will take it as a piece of good news that Royal Air will resume its daily flights coming from the Clark Airport. The schedule of resumption is October 8.
It could be recalled that at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic, many airlines servicing local and international routes temporarily suspended operations, among them Royal Air.
Now this Hong Kong budget airline operates from the modern and spacious facility at the terminal building, and continues to provide topnotch service to its loyal travelers.
The Luzon International Premiere Airport Development (LIPAD) which operates the CRK, said other airlines using the new terminal since May are Cebu Pacific Air, Philippine Airlines, Jetstar, Qatar Airways, Scoot, Emirates and others.
Tacloban to Clark and back
In Tacloban City, the Regional Development Council (RDC) of Eastern Visayas is encouraging airlines to open and operate flights from Tacloban's Daniel Z. Romualdez (DZR) Airport to Pampanga's Clark International Airport.
Flights from DZR Airport to Clark International Airport will help relieve congestion at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA), according to the resolution passed by the RDC on Sept. 26.
Connecting DZR to CRK will also boost tourism in both Eastern Visayas and Central and Northern Luzon, said Regional Director Karina Rosa Tiopes of the Department of Tourism Region 8.
Future of Clark Airport
The CRK continues its expansion and development in preparation for the future recovery of both international and local tourism.
The international airport’s new terminal building boasts a 110,000 square meter and has slots for 18 aerobridges. It features state-of-the-art facilities that situate itself as a premier Asian gateway for tourism and business and trade. CRK also features a touchless passenger check-in experience.
Four new terminals are expected to be completed and all will be operational by 2025. Upon completion, it was reported that these four terminals will boost Clark’s passenger capacity to more than 110 million annually.
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