Clark reports surge in int’l, domestic flights

Clark International Airport saw a sharp increase in both international and domestic flights in the first quarter of the year as more passengers used the fast-growing budget airline hub in Pampanga.

In a statement on Wednesday, Clark International Airport Corp. president and CEO Victor Jose Luciano said that, from January to March, total passenger volume at the facility reached 408,895 passengers—62 percent more than that reported in the same period last year.

The fastest rate of rise was seen in January, with passenger volume surging by 71 percent to 153,920. In February, volume rose by 57 percent to 123,349. In March, volume was up by 56 percent to 131,626.

Gains were mainly attributed to the rise in international flights out of Clark, and the trend would likely continue, the airport operator said.

Dubai-based Emirates is expected to start operations by October as it begins to link passengers to the Middle East and Europe. The airline will be using its Boeing 777-300ERs, which have a passenger capacity of 437, the statement said.

To meet growing demand, the management of Clark Airport is preparing to double the current capacity of the facility—to four million passengers annually from the existing two million—through a P360-million expansion project.

The airport has been growing as budget airlines make air travel more accessible to a larger portion of the population.—Miguel R. Camus