Clark airport expects 1 millionth passenger

CLARK FREEPORT -- The Clark International Airport is expecting its one millionth passenger for 2012 this week, said airport corporation (CIAC) president and CEO Victor Jose Luciano on Sunday.

“This is another milestone for the Clark International Airport as we have achieved for the first time an unprecedented one million passengers in one year. In fact, with the arrival of the millionth passenger, the figure is achieved in just 10 months, even before the year ends,” said Luciano.

It is the first time the Clark International Airport will post an annual passenger volume of one million, according to the airport official.

The first one million-passenger mark was achieved in June 2007 after four years of operations by commercial airlines, led by South Korea’s Asiana Airlines that started in 2003.

On June 29, 2007, the Clark airport received its one-millionth passenger, who was identified as Korean national Lee Eun Hee, a 35-year-old computer programmer who arrived at the airport aboard an Asiana Airlines flight from Incheon, South Korea.

The entry of more airlines, particularly low-cost carriers AirAsia Berhad, Cebu Pacific, Seair, Philippines AirAsia, AirPhil Express and Jin Air, increased the volume of local and international passengers.

Last year, CIAC recorded an overall passenger volume of 767,109.

Luciano said the airport is on its way to attaining close to 1.4 million passengers by the end of 2012 due to the increase in the number of both international and domestic flights.

“At the rate we’re going, we expect to reach close to 1.4 million passengers by the end of this year,” Luciano said.

He said seven budget carriers currently operate on a 24-hour basis.

Clark has the most number of budget carriers compared to other airports in the country, he added.

Full-service carriers operating in Clark include Asiana Airlines of South Korea and Hong Kong-based Dragonair.

The airport has 296 aircraft movements per week and the figure is expected to increase as Zest Airways is set to launch daily international flights to Incheon, South Korea later this month.

Luciano earlier proposed to the Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) the setting up of a budget terminal that would initially accommodate close to 10 million passengers annually.

The proposed terminal is similar to the Kuala Lumpur International Airport in Malaysia.

The existing passenger terminal can only accommodate 2.5 million passengers annually.

The CIAC management is evaluating procedures to expand the terminal, which will eventually have a capacity of four million passengers yearly.

The project will cost around P360 million, Luciano said.