CLARK FREEPORT -- Clark International Airport Corporation (CIAC) acting president Alexander Cauguiran said that domestic and international flights in Clark are expected to reach about 600 times per week.
The airport chief announced this during the Jetstar Asia’s launching ceremony of its Clark-Osaka flight at the Midori Hotel and Casino the other night.
The Jetstar Asia has set its inaugural service from Clark International Airport (CRK) to Osaka Kansai International Airport (KIX) Wednesday morning.
Jetstar will operate three weekly services between Clark in Pampanga province and Osaka which is situated in the Kansai region.
From one domestic destination before President Duterte assumed office more than a year ago, Clark airport now has 20 local flights, according to Cauguiran.
“From three five times domestic flights a week, we have more than 300 flights now plus close to 200 flights international, excluding Jetstar, so close to 600 flights in the next few months,” he said.
The executive cited the good partnership of CIAC and JetStar. “CIAC and JetStar going together we’ll go far in realizing our dream to make Clark a very competitive aviation complex. More flights, more JetStar flights coming,” Cauguiran said.
Jetstar Asia chief executive officer Bara Pasupathi said that Clark airport has a big potential.
Pasupathi thanked Cauguiran for his vision for Clark airport and support to JetStar Asia.
Six months ago, Cauguiran presented JetStar Asia rapid growth of the Clark aerotropolis, according to Pasupathi.
“Alex convinced us to fly to Clark. We took a risk coming to Clark. We expanded our footprints from Manila to Clark in a small way. And Alex said, you know you guys, once you come to Clark you will increase your services,” Pasupathi said.
When JetStar launched its Clark to Singapore route in November, Pasupathi said that they were surprised about the “high load factors and the performance of the market.”
“So we promised in November that we will increase flights in Clark from three to five services per week. But little did we realize that we will have the opportunity to expand and to bring the first international footprint in Japan to Clark,” he added.
Clark will be the second gateway in the region for Singapore and Japanese travelers to fly to the Philippines.
The maiden flight of JetStar is fully-booked with 180 seats sold for Clark to Osaka and 180 seats sold for its return route.
JetStar Asia Airways Pte Ltd is a low-cost airline based in Singapore. It is one of the Asian offshoots of JetStar Airways, the low-cost subsidiary airline of Australia’s Qantas airline.