Exec: ‘Clark airport excited with aerotropolis concept’

CLARK FREEPORT — Clark International Airport (CRK) is excited with the aerotropolis concept as the aviation industry players are starting to recognize the airport’s potential in terms of economic growth.

Clark International Airport Corporation (CIAC) Acting President Alex Cauguiran relayed this message during the press launching of the Aeromart Summit, which is scheduled on June 14 to 16, 2018.

“Obviously, Clark airport is excited with the ‘aerotropolis’concept as aviation industry players are beginning to recognize CRK’s potential to become one of the new vibrant business centers in the country,” Cauguiran said.

The official also thanked the Board of Investments (BOI) and other entities supporting and making Clark International Airport a major player in the forthcoming Aeromart Summit.

“Needless to say, we are one with you in promoting the capabilities of Clark’s aerospace industry,” Cauguiran said.

CRK is aggressively pushing for the development of the aviation sector as there are numerous opportunities in Clark for aviation and aerospace, specifically in parts manufacturing, aircraft MRO and aviation training, according to hi m.

“We entice aerospace companies to set up global operations at Clark. Later this afternoon, you will be touring among others, SIA Engineering Philippines and Dornier Technology, two of our biggest locators involved in aerospace parts manufacturing and in MRO,” Caugurian said.

CIAC also have aviation training and other aviation-related businesses such as INAEC, Skytrooper Charter and Alphaland Aviation, among others, he added.

Various sectors support the “aerotropolis” vision for CRK and the Duterte administration programs for the expansion of Clark airport, which is a decision built on the realization that Manila will not have enough capacity to meet the rapidly growing

demand for our country’s air travel, the official also said.

“CRK’s runways and expansion projects augur well with its development as an aerotropolis and validate its importance, marketability and viability,” he said.

Clark, with its land use, infrastructure development and business activities, is the obvious alternative to the long and expensive journey to Manila’s airport for CRK’s catchment population of some 23 million potential passengers, according to him.

“And then we have a new Passenger Terminal Building, which has an eight million passenger capacity per annum that will be completed in 2020,” Cauguiran said.

The existing airport terminal has a 4.2-million passenger capacity per annum, he said.

“We had 1.5 million passengers last year, so some 2.7 million more passengers— domestic and international travelers combined— may still be accommodated if airlines shift their operations from NAIA to CRK,” Cauguiran said.

Last month, CRK recorded more than 215,000 passengers. Over 8,000 travelers passed through Clark on April 2, which is the highest number so far in the history of CIAC since 1995.

“We aim to serve at least two million passengers in 2018 following these record-breaking numbers,” Cauguiran said.

From January to March this year, CIAC has accounted for 600,811 passengers at Clark airport. Clark currently handles an average of 7,000 daily passengers in 158 international and 323 domestic every week.

“At this rate and with the full support of the Duterte administration, we will be able to break the 2017 record of 1.5 million passengers and will probably reach the two million mark this year,” Cauguiran said.