MANILA, Jan. 9 — Clark International Airport Corporation (CIAC) President and CEO Atty. Emigdio Tanjuatco III assures the public that his agency as well as the Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) are pushing for the development of the Clark International Airport (CRK) in Pampanga.
“The truth is that we fully support the development of Clark Airport. In fact, the DOTC had already infused an initial P 1.2 Billion for the construction of our new Low Cost Carrier Passenger Terminal Building (LCC PTB),” Tanjuatco said dispelling perceptions that government is neglecting CRK, the DOTC said in a statement.
“The fact that this project is up for bidding this year is proof that government is serious in developing Clark Airport,” Tanjuatco added.
Tanjuatco explained that Clark Airport has its own catchment area in the northern regions of Luzon, while the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) services the southern portion. He clarified that the 2 airports are not competing since their operations and expansion complement each other.
For his part, DOTC Secretary Jun Abaya said that “the new LCC PTB is designed to accommodate at least 15 million passengers annually at the price of P 7.2 Billion. We tapped the services of Aeroports de Paris for the feasibility study not only of the terminal but also other facilities at the aviation complex.”
Abaya also clarified that while the proposed Sangley International Airport is still under study, government is focused on the aggressive development of both NAIA and Clark.
Tanjuatco earlier vowed to draw some 3 million passengers to Clark Airport within the next 2 years, as well as to attract more airlines. He continuously promotes it as a prime destination for international carriers.
He is currently working towards convincing Emirates and Air Asia to return to the 2,367-hectare Clark Civil Aviation Complex, and is inviting more airlines to operate at the gateway. Currently, it hosts air carriers such as Dragonair, Asiana Airlines, Cebu Pacific, Seair, Qatar Airways, Tigerair, Jin Air, and Air Asia Berhad.(DOTC)
