THE operator of the Clark International Airport reported on Thursday it was able to accommodate its highest passenger count in a three-month period during the first quarter of the year.
In a statement, Clark International Airport Corp. (CIAC) said 1.02 million passengers passed through the gateway in the January to March period, the biggest quarterly figure since it started operations.
“Six years ago, it was a record number if you hit the one million passenger mark in a year. Clark had 1.3 million and 1.2 million passengers in 2012 and 2013, respectively. Now, we broke that mark in just three months, so far the highest quarterly figure in the airport’s 24-year history,” CIAC President Jaime Alberto C. Melo was quoted as saying.
CIAC also noted that in January, the Clark airport saw 364,171 passengers, also a monthly record.
“More travelers choose Clark because of congestion in Metro Manila. There are also improvements of terminal facilities here (at Clark) and a more focused and precise operational direction from CIAC management,” Mr. Melo added.
CIAC initially targeted a total of 4.5 million passengers to fly through the Clark airport by 2022. But now, as its monthly average reaches 340,000 passengers, the operator said the airport may achieve 4 million passengers by end-2019.
“The surge in Clark numbers is largely attributed to the support of the Duterte administration and the leadership of Transportation Secretary Arthur P. Tugade, who, in 2016, led officials in urging local carriers to move some of their operations to Clark,” it said.
The current capacity of the Clark airport is 4.2 million passengers annually. A new terminal building is scheduled to open next year, which will add another 8 million to the annual capacity.
The Clark airport currently serves flights to 246 international and 488 domestic destinations. CIAC said there are negotiations to add new links from the gateway to Bangkok and Kuala Lumpur, among others. — Denise A. Valdez
