CIAC pushes for release of P2.8-B airport funds
CLARK FREEPORT --- The Clark International Airport Corporation (CIAC) is pushing for the release of the P2.89 billion intended for the development of Clark International Airport (CRK).
CIAC head Alexander Cauguiran has underscored the urgent need to implement Clark airport’s development program as the number of flights and passengers have increased over the past three years ago.
Cauguiran said the CIAC management is working double time for the download of the first tranche of the P2.89 billion funds from the Department of Transportation (DOTr).
He described their move as a major step for Clark airport to adapt to the increasing number of travelers.
“We are only in the first quarter of this year and the additional flights people are enjoying now have improved from three to five years ago which signify positive things to come for the premier airport of the North,” Cauguiran added.
The proposed Clark airport Terminal-2 budget is under the General Appropriation Acts of 2015 and 2016 and, as provided by law, will be reverted to the national treasury if not utilized by December this year.
Executive Order (EO) 64 signed by theynPresident Benigno Aquino III on December 21, 2011 transferred CIAC from the Office of the President and made the latter an attached agency of DOTr.
In 2016, CIAC recorded a total of 6,205 international and domestic flights with 950,732 passengers for local and foreign routes. These figures are expected to increase this year as more airlines are mounting flights in Clark.
“CIAC management is focused on hitting its target on time. Once CIAC receives the downloaded funds from the DOTr, management will immediately conduct procurement of detailed engineering and design (DED) consultants for the bid out and award of contract to implement horizontal civil works projects for the new terminal building,” Cauiguran said.
The process of bid and award of contract, except for unforeseen obstacles, may be completed by the third quarter of this year, Cauguiran added.
Earlier, the government announced the construction of a new Clark airport terminal the first of four design phases for domestic and international passengers with an 8-million-visitor capacity that will be finished before the term of President Rodrigo Duterte ends.
This is part of the Duterte administration’s ‘Build, Build, Build’ infrastructure development thrust in the next five-and-a-half years.
“As always, due diligence results to an outcome most favorable to the government, and along with (DOTr) Secretary Art Tugade and President Vince Dizon of BCDA (Bases Conversion and Development Authority), we are revalidating all aspects required for the new airport terminal project,” Cauguiran said.
The new Clark airport terminal, situated in the 2,367-hectare Clark Civil Aviation Complex, is designed by the French firm Aéroports de Paris and occupies 82,000 square meters with a capacity of eight million passengers annually.
This airport is expected to be expanded to accommodate a total of 16 million passengers per year.
Air Asia will launch thrice weekly Clark-Kalibo flights starting March 27 and four times weekly flights to and from Davao by April 22.
Philippine Airlines (PAL) has domestic flights in Clark to Caticlan, Cebu, Davao, international flights via Incheon in South Korea. The flag carrier also has Palawan route via Puerto Princesa and Busuanga by March 26.
Clark airport is host to other airlines like Emirates Airlines via Dubai, Qatar Airways via Doha, Asiana Airlines via Incheon, Jin Air via Incheon and Busan, Cebu Pacific Air via Hong Kong, Macau, Singapore and domestic flights to Cebu, along with Cathay Dragon via Hong Kong and Tiger Air via Singapore.
International cargo service giants FedEx and UPS maintain a combined weekly average of 23 international and domestic cargo flights here.