Clark airport eyes 4-M tourists in 2024 as NAIA braces for rehab

THE Clark International Airport Corporation ( CIAC) is eyeing to serve 4 million passengers this year, which i s more than double i ts passenger count in 2023.

CIAC president and CEO Arrey Perez, during a press conference i n Taguig on Feb. 2, said he is banking on more tourist arrivals and the diversion of some flights from the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA), which will be undergoing rehabilitation in the coming months, to help them reach their target.

“Last year, we were targeting 2 million. We fell short of around 600 to 800 passengers but it’s a very good achievement for us. With the aggressive plans for tourism in the country, we’ll be certain that we’ll attract more,” said Perez.

He added :“Now with the plans of the DOTr ( Department of Transportation) to upgrade our main gateway, which is NAIA, imagine when they’re going to rehabilitate, some of its operations will be nonoperational and Clark will be ready to serve.”

Touted as the Philippines’ next main gateway to the world, the Clark International Airport is also setting its sights on additional flight destinations, as well as having more airline and cargo operators.

The CIAC and the Bases Conversion and Development Authority ( BCDA) hope to attract more of these locators as they join the Philippine delegation at the Singapore Airshow from Feb. 20 to 24 at the Changi Exhibition Center in Singapore.

“The i ntention really for this event is to be able to entice more airlines to mount flights in Clark and entice the airspace firms, the logistics players and even the tourism entrepreneurs to go to Clark, make Clark their next business destination. So we really hope that this ( business) mission will be very successful,” said BCDA Executive Vice President Gisela Kalalo.

Apart from the airport, Perez said the agency also wants to attract investments to improve the so- called airport city as a whole.

Their planned flagship projects include the creation of a National Food Hub, which is open for publicprivate partnerships, an entertainment and events hub, and road infrastructure especially leading to the airport.

According to Perez, t he CRK Direct Access Link is another crucial infrastructure that needs to be built.

“It’ s a link that goes directly — the quickest, most convenient access to the airport. Because right now the existing access, it’s a maze. It’s going further away to the airport if you’re coming from the expressways, from SCTEX ( Subic- Clark-Tarlac Expressway), NLEX ( North Luzon Expressway),” he explained.

Perez said the agency has t ouched base wi t h potential investors such as Surbana Jurong, a subisdiary of Temasek Holdings, and AECOM.

“We have an ongoing discussion already with

Surbana J urong which was involved in the development of many of the parks and also part of the development of the Changi Airport. They also took part i n the construction and the design of the Clark International Airport so they’re pretty much aware of what we need in Clark,” he said.

“We’ll also meet up with the AECOM which was part of the masterplanning for the civil aviation complex,” he added.