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Thursday, October 06, 2005
Airlines hit for objecting to extra flights at Clark airport
CLARK ECOZONE -- Two influential cause-oriented groups in Central Luzon Wednesday denounced the opposition of the Philippine Airlines (PAL) and Cebu Pacific Airlines (CPA) to the additional flights to be mounted by two low-cost carriers (LCCs) operating at the Diosdado Macapagal International Airport (Dmia) in Clark.
Move Clark Now (MCN) secretary general Alex Cauguiran and Pinoy Gumising Ka Movement (PGKM) spokesman Bong Lacson urged the Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB) to allow the operations of Tiger Airways' Singapore-Macau-Clark-Singapore route and Thai Air Asia from Clark-Bangkok-Clark this month.
MCN and PGKM are among the cause-oriented groups advocating for the full operation of Dmia, which will anchor the full development of Clark Special Economic Zone (CSEZ) and its environs in Central and North Philippines.
PAL and CPA have opposed the plan of Singapore's Tiger Airways and Malaysia's Air Asia under the liberalized charter agreement which allows small and low budget airlines to operate in Clark.
Cauguiran said the opposition of PAL and CPA would run counter to the vision of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo of a fully developed Clark international airport pursuant to her 10-point agenda.
"We strongly urge Civil Aeronautics Board executive director Tomas Manalac and Transportation Undersecretary Edward Harun Pagunsan to review the 10-point agenda of the President so they will be reminded in their future actions. They must serve the country and veer away from private interest," he said.
While the entry of Air Asia and Tiger Airways would promote tourism at Clark and generate more income for the country, the increased flights would also provide additional job opportunities to the residents of the Metro Clark Area.
Malaysia's Air Asia, which flies regular daily to Kuala Lumpur and Kota Kinabulu, and Singapore's Tiger Airways, which flies 10 times a week, have started operating in Clark last April 4.
Cauguiran said the opposition of PAL and CPA "is a direct affront to President Arroyo's vision for the full operation of Dmia and to the Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs)."
"For many years, we have been appealing to PAL to include Clark in their itineraries but they have consistently refused," Lacson said.
Thousands of OFWs are now blessed with the opportunity to travel home on a quarterly or bi-monthly basis because of Air Asia and Tiger Airways, Cauguiran said.
Lacson said when small airlines saw the potentials of Dmia and came in, PAL and CPA had "the gall to question their rights."
"No thanks to PAL and CPA, Clark is moving without them. They better shut up and stop preventing other airlines to service Clark and other countries," he added.
With the entry of two budget fare carriers, the number of air passengers to Clark increased in the first quarter of the year from 10,000 passengers to 26,000 passengers, with 37 flights a month since April. Aside from the two airlines, others flying to Clark are South Korea's second largest carrier Asiana Airlines, Hong Kong Express and China Rich Airways of the former British Crown Colony and Far Eastern Transport Corporation of Taiwan.
Clark Development Corporation president Antonio R. Ng said Dmia is envisioned as the country's most affordable gateway because of the available infrastructure in and outside the Clark Aviation Complex and the presence of budget airlines.
The airport development is being complemented by the development of the North Luzon Expressway (Nlex), the 93-kilometer long Subic-Clark-Tarlac Tollroad and the soon-to-be implemented North Rail Project, which will start the phase one from Manila to Clark.
(October 6, 2005 issue)
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