China carrier to start flying to Clark

Clark International Airport Corp. said a major Chinese carrier is set to start Clark-Shanghai flights in the next “few months” given growing business traffic between the Philippines and China, a statement yesterday showed.

Clark International Airport Corp. CEO Alexander Cauguiran said China Eastern was now in the process of finalizing plans to use Clark Airport as a hub.

“China Eastern is encouraged by the marketability of Clark airport and the increasing number of its local destinations,” Janette Cordero, the airlines’ ground handler representative in the Philippines, said in the statement. She said this would be the first time China Eastern would fly via Clark.

The entry of another major airline will further increase passenger traffic at Clark Airport, which is currently under-utilized, Cauguiran said.
“This will definitely boost CRK’s (Clark Airport’s) operations as we are also looking at thousands of business travelers who may now choose Clark to fly China Eastern,” he added.

The airline also plans to establish an exclusive airport lounge at Clark Airport. China Eastern is a legacy carrier with interstate routes and which offers first class and business class seating. It also has a frequent-flyer program.

China Eastern’s initial route will connect Clark to its main base in Shanghai’s Pudong International Airport.

Cauguiran said the Clark-Shanghai route would also connect to numerous cities in Europe, Asia and North America.

In the meantime, AirAsia will launch thrice weekly Clark-Kalibo flights starting March 27 this year, and four times weekly flights to and from Davao by April 22. This will add to the operations of Philippine Airlines, whose domestic flights include Clark to Caticlan, Cebu, Davao, as well as international flights via Incheon in South Korea.

On March 26, PAL will start servicing a Palawan route via Puerto Princesa and Busuanga.

Clark Airport hosts other airlines, such as Emirates Airlines via Dubai, Qatar Airways via Doha, Asiana Airlines via Incheon, Jin Air via Incheon and Busan, Cebu Pacific Air via Hong Kong, Macau, Singapore and domestic flights to Cebu, along with Cathay Dragon via Hong Kong and Tiger Air via Singapore.