MANILA, Philippines—An influential group of airlines has thrown its support behind the proposed “dual airport” system, which will involve the joint operation of Ninoy Aquino International Airport (Naia) in Manila and Clark International Airport in Pampanga province as main gateways to the Philippines.
In a statement on Tuesday, the Airline Operators Council, or AOC, urged the government to hasten the development of Clark International Airport.
“The AOC supports the principle of the “Dual Airport” movement on the island of Luzon. We have always expressed concern that the Ninoy Aquino International Airport has reached its maximum capacity with the increasing number of passengers annually,” the 14-member AOC said. “The government and the private sector must cooperate if we are true to our commitment that ‘it’s more fun in our Philippine airports.’”
Transportation Secretary Joseph Abaya had said that a dual-airport system was a likely option. The Transportation department still has to formalize the policy.
Several private-sector stakeholders have urged the Aquino administration to adopt this dual airport policy, noting that it would boost business activities in North Luzon.
They noted, for example, that a secondary airport like Clark International Airport does not have land constraints and may eventually outgrow Naia. This trend has been noted in other major cities served by dual airports like New York, Tokyo and London.
Clark International Airport handled 1.32 million passengers last year, higher by 72 percent from that of 2011, but far smaller than the 32 million passengers Naia handled during the same period.
But because it operates two parallel runways and has the capacity to expand, signatories to the declaration believe that the numbers will catch up.
The government already approved the construction of an interim terminal with a 2.5-million passenger capacity. The Transportation department is also studying the viability of building a new budget terminal with a capacity of 10 million passengers.