Airphil increasing flights from Clark

Airphil Express, the sister company of flag carrier Philippine Airlines (PAL), is strengthening its presence at the Clark Freeport, Pampanga, which is emerging as a  hub for low-cost carriers operating in the country.

In a statement, Airphil Express said it would increase flights from Clark to key domestic destinations by late March, coinciding with the start of operations of the local unit of Malaysian Air Asia Berhad.

The additional routes are Clark to Davao, Cebu, Kalibo and Puerto Prinsesa. These will bring the total number of Airphil Express’ daily scheduled flights to 32 local destinations.

Flights to Cebu and Davao will be twice weekly, while flights to Kalibo and Puerto Princesa will be four times a week.

“With its highly improved road network and increasing flights, Clark is setting out to become a natural entry point to major tourist destinations and a major hub for business and tourism in the country,” Airphil Expres senior vice president for sales and marketing Alfredo Herrera said.

“Aside from being a major part of the company’s growth plans this year, we have decided to offer flights from Clark so we may bring our services closer to people in Pampanga and nearby areas. It goes hand in hand with our commitment to help boost economic growth via the promotion of local tourism,” he said.

Early this year, the company added three 180-seater Airbus A320 jets to its fleet. This brings the total number of Airphil Express aircraft to 11 Airbus 320s, three turbo-prop Q300s and five turbo-prop Q400s.