THE development of Clark International Airport as an alternate airport is the most practical and economical solution to the problems besetting the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (Naia) in Manila, the Clark Investors and Locators Association (CILA) said.
The group, made up of almost 1,000 foreign and local companies at Clark, issued the statement the August 17 shutdown of the Naia runway due to a disabled Xiamen Air aircraft that skidded off the runway.
The shutdown, which lasted almost 36 hours, resulted in flight delays and cancellations that left thousands of passengers stranded.
The Clark locators' association said the incident should convince both the public and private sector that the full development of the Clark airport should be fast-tracked.
"Clark International Airport remains the best alternative to the Naia," CILA stated.
CILA chairman Irineo "Bong" ALvaro Jr. said that like the rest of Metro Manila, Naia is already congested and has been operating beyond its capacity for decades.
“The Clark airport is the most practical and economical choice for our future international gateway. Clark is the practical choice not only because of its proximity to Manila but also because it has more than enough room for expansion,” Alvaro said.
He also disclosed several advantages of moving airport operations to the 2,000-hectare airport complex at the former American air base located 80 kilometers north of Manila.
“It is also economical in the sense that only a little amount of time and few billion pesos is all that is needed to fully develop the Clark airport complex compared to constructing a new airport in Bulacan, Cavite, or elsewhere,” he pointed out.
Alvaro said the national government should not stop with the construction of a second terminal at Clark that would increase the airport’s capacity from the current 2.5 million to 12 million passengers per year.
The government should now make plans for the construction of a third runway that would expand its capacity to 80 million passengers, according to CILA chairman.
Alvaro said the Duterte Administration’s Build, Build, Build Program should be able to address the public works and transportation requirements for the full operationalization of the Clark airport.
He said these government initiatives will complement the ongoing development of the Clark New City as well as the projects being undertaken by Filinvest, Global Gateway (Udena), BB international, and Dongwang.
The CILA official said the Clark Freeport is among the preferred investment centers in the country with its locators providing employment to more than 100,000 people.
“Many of these investors are investing billions of pesos in infrastructure development and in the next five years, Clark will inevitably become the country’s “next gateway,” Alvaro said.
“In addition to such name brands as Texas Instrument, Samsung, and Yokohama that have established their operations at Clark, we will also be seeing Hyatt, Hilton, and Marriott in the coming months,” he added.