Gov’t set to auction P7.2-B Clark contract

MANILA, Philippines–The government is set to auction a contract to build a P7.2-billion budget carrier terminal at Clark International Airport in Pampanga this year.

Emigdio Tanjuatco III, the CEO of state-run Clark International Airport Corp., said in a statement that the development comes as Clark Airport seeks to expand its market to areas beyond Metro Manila.

Tanjuatco said that Clark Airport had its own catchment area in the northern regions of Luzon, while the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (Naia) in Manila serves the southern portion. He downplayed any competition between the two airports, saying their operations and expansion complement each other.

Clark currently lures about 1.3 million passengers a year against its capacity of four million. The new budget terminal, once fully developed, will increase capacity at Clark Airport to about 15 million passengers annually.

By contrast, Naia handles over 32 million passengers a year, already above its capacity of 30 million passengers.

“The truth is that we fully support the development of Clark Airport. In fact, the DOTC [Department of Transportation and Communications] had already infused an initial P 1.2 billion for the construction of our new Low Cost Carrier Passenger Terminal Building,” Tanjuatco said.

“The fact that this project is up for bidding this year is proof that government is serious in developing Clark Airport,” he added.

Transportation secretary Joseph Abaya said the department had tapped the services of France’s Aeroports de Paris for the feasibility study not only of the new terminal but also other facilities at the aviation complex. He noted that the expansion of Clark would be done in phases and would be in step with the increase in passenger traffic.

Abaya also clarified that while the proposed Sangley International Airport was still under study, government was focused on the “aggressive development” of both Naia and Clark.

Tanjuatco reiterated a plan to lure three million passengers to Clark Airport within the next two years, as well as to attract more airlines. The plan also involves promoting heavily to international carriers.

Currently, CIAC is working toward “convincing” Emirates and AirAsia Bhd’s Philippine units to return to the 2,367-hectare Clark Civil Aviation Complex, and is inviting more airlines to operate at the gateway.

Air carriers such as Dragonair, Asiana Airlines, Cebu Pacific, Seair, Qatar Airways, Tigerair, Jin Air, and Air Asia Berhad are now using Clark Airport.