Clark airport
Speaking of DOTC and infrastructure, I got this e-mail from someone who says he is a regular user of Clark International Airport. I furnished Chichos Luciano, top dog at Clark airport, a copy of this e-mail over a week ago but heard nothing from him so far.
“Outside the ‘Friendship’ Gate at Clark are a row of large streamers criticizing and questioning the management of Clark. They speak for themselves. I have much sympathy with the views expressed and many people I speak to in Angeles have little good to say about the operation of the airport.
“Flights are continually being added but the infrastructure and facilities are little unchanged over the past few years. The two air bridges opened by Gloria in a fanfare a couple of years back, I have never seen in operation. I fly out of Clark maybe six times a year and have never used them. I asked an airport staff why they were not used and he replied that they were sometimes used by Korean operators. What does this mean? Preferential treatment? Can you only pay to use them if you pay extra? What are our airport fees for?
“The awful situation at immigration gets worse. Two weeks ago I was going to Hong Kong. It seems that there were about four flights all leaving within a 10-minute period. From joining the queue at immigration it took me ONE HOUR to get to the desk. The flight is only one and a half hour.
“Flights were delayed and many passengers were stress about missing the flight. Again, what do we pay the terminal fee for? Despite the ever increasing numbers of flights, the number of immigration desks remains the same.
“The practice of profiling single young women as being ‘trafficked’ continues, which adds to delays as the immigration staff busy themselves with their ‘big brother’ procedure. In most countries there would be an outcry about this assault on basic human rights where a single officer, possibly in a bad mood, can arbitrarily stop people traveling. Horror stories on this matter abound on expat web sites and the word on this goes around.
“The drop off and pick up area gets more and more congested and again no improvement is in sight. The exit road from the terminal is a pot holed disgrace.”