Bizman: Clark airport has all qualities of a premier gateway

ANGELES CITY -- Businessman Rene Romero said Wednesday that the Clark International Airport has all the characteristics of a premier international airport that other airports in the country fail to match.

Romero cited the airport’s strategic location, two big parallel runways, space, and other qualities enough to be converted into the country’s main international airport.

Romero issued the statement in reaction to reports quoting Ramon Ang as saying that the government’s plan to turn Clark into the country’s premier gateway might be ill-advised, given the facility’s distance from Manila.

“If you want to fly [from] Clark, how long will it take you to get to the airport? Two hours if you are coming from Makati. Then you have to wait two more hours for your flight,” Ang said.

Ang reportedly said plans to build a new high-speed railway between Metro Manila and Clark -- at an estimated cost of $10 billion -- would be too heavy a burden for the government to carry.

Romero said the Philippine Air Lines is free to put its own airport but not to the point that its officials will discredit the Clark airport, which is seen by Kapampangans as their future in terms of economic development.

“Libre lang manalakad sarili dang airport pero ‘e de sisiran ing Clark. Masakit para kareng Kapampangan ita,” Romero said.

Clark, which is expected to spur tourism and trade in the whole of Central Luzon and other regions in Luzon, is now well-developed and has enough space for expansion, according to Romero.

“Makisabi tamu, ‘e ne (Ang) sisiran ing Clark. Patye sinira ne future ning Clark, anti na ne mong sinira ing buong Pilipinas,” Romero said. “Anybody who will discredit Clark, maghinakit tamung Kapampangan kaya.”

The businessman at the same time appealed to President Benigno Aquino III to declare Clark airport as one of the country’s main gateways.

“It’s okay to build international airports in other parts of the country like in Cebu, Davao and others but Clark should be one of the country’s premier gateways,” Romero said.

Ang earlier announced that PAL is planning to build a big airport in Bulacan that can accommodate flights four times the capacity of the Ninoy International Airport.