Clark airport passenger volume soared 36% in H1

INQUIRER.net file photo

Clark International Airport Corp. (CIAC) is on track to achieve its target passenger volume for the year after seeing heavier traffic during the first half.

CIAC president and CEO Arrey Perez told the Inquirer that passenger movement improved by 36 percent to 1.1 million in the first semester as demand for air travel has remained strong.

As such, he said they were expecting to hit the goal of servicing 2.4 million to 2.7 million passengers this year.

The Clark airport accommodated nearly 2 million passengers last year, showing a 50-percent recovery compared to the prepandemic volume.

The Pampanga gateway saw growth in passenger traffic after welcoming more airlines, including Aero-K, Sunlight Air, Air Busan, Hong Kong Express, Starlux and EVA Air.

Some airlines have also been expanding their operations at the Clark hub. For example, Cebu Pacific is set to resume flights from Clark to Davao, General Santos, Iloilo and Puerto Princesa by October.

Meanwhile, Perez said they were currently doing a detailed feasibility study for the planned second runway, which is estimated to cost P7 billion to P10 billion.

Added infrastructure

The CIAC officials said they aimed to finish the study by next year to determine when they should build the infrastructure to increase capacity.

Bases Conversion and Development Authority president and CEO Joshua Bingcang previously said a second runway would also help the airport avoid potential disruptions in operations as it would serve as an alternative path for aircraft.

Apart from this, the airport operator will also spend P2 billion more for the expansion of taxiways and aprons for new locators, including logistics companies.

CIAC signed with the Public-Private Partnership Center of Philippines and the Asian Development Bank a technical advisory services agreement for the P8.5-billion Clark National Food Hub.

The parties will work together in conducting the project feasibility study, which is targeted to be completed by January next year. CIAC aims to award the operations and maintenance contract by January 2026. INQ