CLARK FREEPORT—A feasibility study for the budget terminal of the Clark International Airport (CIA) has begun while the terms of reference (TOR) for another study—worth P100 million and funded by the Department of Transportation and Communications (DoTC)—is being drafted.
The Reid Foundation, led by Prof. Twinkle Rodolfo of the University of Asia and the Pacific, started the first study last month on a grant from the Asia Foundation, said Victor Jose Luciano, president and chief executive officer of the Clark International Airport Corp.
The study is due to be completed by the end of September, Luciano said on the sidelines of the ceremonial launch of Philippines AirAsia’s flights to Hong Kong and Macau recently.
He disputed reports that the budget terminal plan has been scrapped. The plan aims to construct a terminal for low-cost carriers that is projected to serve 10 million passengers annually.
The budget terminal should be completed by the end of 2015, Luciano said.
“The simpler the model for us, the better,” said Maan Hontiveros, chief executive officer of the AirAsia Inc., which runs the local hub of the Philippines’ AirAsia.
Luciano said the TOR for a feasibility study making the CIA an international gateway is being drafted and will be available for public tender. This will be submitted to the National Economic and Development Authority and government’s Public-Private Partnership Center.
President Aquino, through Executive Order No. 64, placed the CIAC under the supervision of the DoTC in January this year. It used to be administered by the Bases Conversion and Development Authority.
“The DOTC wants a real honest-to-goodness major development, which should be the gateway,” said Luciano.
The terminals for budget carriers and large, legacy aircraft could be located next to each other, he said.
Of the P1-billion loan that the CIAC took from the Land Bank of the Philippines, P360 million will be used to expand the current terminal, retire a P330-million loan from the Veterans Bank and spend the rest to buy new navigational aids, he said.
As with previous administrations, the Aquino administration has announced its intention of making Clark the country’s premier international aviation gateway, supplanting the overcrowded Ninoy Aquino International Airport.
These plans are, however, hobbled by the lack of viable high-speed rail transport services between Manila and Clark.
The Hong Kong-based Metrojet Engineering has already set up a maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) facility at the Clark Civil Aviation Complex. Singapore Engineering Philippines set up an MRO two years ago and is building its second hangar for big aircraft.
The CIA services 300 aircraft movements weekly due to flights by AirAsia, Airphil Express, Dragonair, Cebu Pacific, Seair and Asiana Airlines.—Tonette Orejas