Clark Airport starts taking diverted flights due to APEC

CLARK AIRPORT. Pampanga — Flight from the Visayas, Dubai, Singapore and other Asian countries were diverted to Clark International Airport (CIA) in Pampanga Wednesday due to the no-fly zone which was in effect during the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in Metro Manila.

Clark International Airport Corporation CIAC President and CEO Emigdio Tanjuatco III told Manila Bulletin that the Cebu Pacific AirBus A-320 from Dubai with flight number 5J-7945 is expected to arrive at around 12 noon today at the CIA, while Qatar Airways Boieng-777 aircraft from Doha will be arriving at 10p.m.

Tanjuatco said Cebu Pacific flight via Singapore is also expected to arrive at 8:15 p.m. and another at 5:30a.m. the next day.

Air Juan aircraft Amphibian plane 6676 arrived at Clark Airport at 8:30 a.m. on Nov. 17 via Subic-Clark to Coron in Palawan. The aircraft departed at 9 a.m. while Island Transvoyager Inc., (ITI) ATR42-500 aircraft also arrived at 10a.m. via Clark from Balesin on the same day when it droped-off and pickedup passengers bound back to the island in Quezon province.

Ding Aranas Airport Operations manager, said that regular scheduled international and local flights of Qatar Airways, Asiana Airlines, Dragonair, Jin Air, CebGo, Cebu Pacific, Tiger Air Singapore and Air Asia Berhad at Clark Airport have remained normal.

Aranas said that Cebu Pacific Air had earlier diverted its domestic flights to Clark Airport since November 16 due to the APEC in Manila. Among these flights were those from Davao, Dumaguete, Kalibo, Tagbilaran and Puerto Princesa.

At least 10 commercial aircrafts of Cebu Pacific and five aircrafts of the Philippine Airlines (PAL) are already parked at the Clark Airport after both air carriers temporarily suspended their flights at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) due to the APEC activities in Manila.

Tanjuatco III had earlier said that Clark Airport is always prepared and ready to accommodate aircrafts, adding that the airport has a wide room for parking space.