MANILA, Philippines —Clark International Airport is targeting to double its passenger volume to four million this year, banking on the continuous reopening of the economy and launch of 13 new routes.
Arrey Perez, president and CEO of Clark International Airport Corp. (CIAC), said in an event in Taguig on Friday they were optimistic on travel momentum boosting passenger movement at the Pampanga gateway.
“We continually open up the economy. We’re still transitioning from the pandemic and so we’re really happy with the performance of the Clark International Airport,” Perez said.
“The aggressive plans for tourism in the country will be certain that we’ll attract more,” he added.
READ: Clark airport sees surge in passenger traffic
This year, the CIAC official said the airport would introduce new local and international routes to widen its network. These include Taipei, Bangkok, Hong Kong, Narita, Macau, Cheongju, Coron, Bacolod, Iloilo, Davao, General Santos, Cagayan de Oro and Puerto Princesa.
Royal Air Philippines resumed its Clark operations last year, providing daily flights to Hong Kong.
Starlux Airlines also launched its third route to Taipei from the Philippines in Clark.
Currently, the airport accommodates 23 airlines and services 11 international and 10 domestic destinations.
Its passenger terminal building has an annual capacity of 8 million.
Passenger volume up 158%
Last year, the gateway saw its passenger volume grow by 158 percent to 2 million. It facilitated 14,892 flights.
Apart from passenger services, Perez said they were looking at expanding the operations of cargo operators in the airport as well. Its locators include global logistics companies FedEx and UPS.
Aircraft maintenance, repair and overhaul provider Lufthansa Technik Philippines (LTP), meanwhile, is also planning to spend P15 billion to establish operations in Clark by 2026.
READ: Lufthansa, MacroAsia eye P15-B hub in Clark
The joint venture of Lucio Tan-led MacroAsia Corp. and Germany-headquartered Lufthansa Technik AG plans to roll out the expansion plan, which is still subject to regulatory approvals, in two phases. The first phase will be built with a capacity to service two aircraft at a time. The second will be designed to have a capacity for six aircraft.
LTP president and CEO Elma Lutter previously said they were targeting to break ground this year.