Tugade eyes ClarkOkinawa flights

CLARK

FREEPORT --- The Department of Transportation (DoTr) is now working for the establishment of flights between Clark International Airport (CRK) and Okinawa in Japan.

Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade disclosed this during the maiden flight of the Philippine Air Lines (PAL) Express Clark-Caticlan route yest er day.

During his speech, Tugade asked PAL Express officials led by their president, Bonifacio Sam, to support the initiative which is in line with President Duterte’s directive to develop Clark airport and decongest Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA).

“I hope you can add more

international flights in Clark. I have started communications with the minister of transportation of Okinawa and part of our conversation is to establish and create a flight from Clark to Okinawa. Perhaps you can co-chair, perhaps you can consider we must develop the traffic in Clark,” Tugade told Sam.

The DoTr head thanked the PAL Express for establishing the Clark-Caticlan route and heeding to the call of President Duterte to decongest NAIA and Metro Manila.

“These flights are very important to the development of this country because these afford connectivity among islands considering the Philippines consists of many islands and PAL Express today in Clark December 16 provide that connectivity,” Tugade said.

Sam, for his part, said that PAL will start a daily flight from Clark to Incheon in South Korea. This, he said, is part of their commitment to decongest NAIA.

“We recognize the potential of Clark as the country’s premier gateway given the requisite infrastructure support,” Sam said.

“We would like to operate more flights here to allow travellers from Central and Northern Luzon to experience the PAL brand of service that comes only from the Heart of the Filipino,” he added.

Sam also said that their daily service to Caticlan and Cebu marks the start of PAL developing Clark as another hub of operations.

“After Caticlan and Cebu, we plan to mount flights from Clark to Davao, Busuanga, and Cagayan De Oro by next year,” Sam said.