CLARK International Airport officials are pointing to the gateway’s marketability and convenience as major reasons for the growing number of tourists from Korea and returning overseas Filipino workers.
Jaime Melo, president of Clark International Airport Corp., said the load factor of airlines servicing Clark-Incheon routes continues to increase. The airlines include flag carrier Philippine Airlines, Air Asia (Philippines), Asiana Airlines, Jeju Air and Jin Air.
“The load factor so far this year for airlines servicing flights to Korea via CRK is proof of CRK's marketability. Hopefully we'll be able to sustain this trend for the entire calendar year,” Melo said in a text message.
The Clark Development Corporation (CDC), which manages the Freeport, earlier issued a statement saying that “Clark continues to serve more tourists and travelers, making it a destination of choice especially for visitors departing from Incheon as well as OFWs based in the Korean peninsula”.
It added that Philippines Air Asia (PAA), with barely six months of Clark-Incheon flights, has 73 percent average load factor in its total 112 flights from January 19 to May this year.
“These carriers see the business viability of servicing the growing number of Korean nationals and their families visiting the greater Clark area plus Filipinos in these parts wishing to fly conveniently to Korea,” Melo said as he also attributed the growth to the support extended by the national government through the DOTr.
Clark is only less than four hours from Incheon International Airport. Clark has a potential 20 million passengers in its so-called catchment area in Northern and Central Luzon provinces.
There are about 30,000 Korean nationals living and doing business in Angeles City and other Pampanga areas.
Starting only January 19 this year, PAA mounted four-times-a-week flights to and from Incheon, one of the top rated gateways in the world.
Of the total 14,817 passengers it has served from January to May this year, 102 are OFWs.
PAA is relatively a new player in serving the said route, with Korean flag carrier Asiana Airlines as the pioneer with its daily flights since 2005.
Two other Korean carriers – Jin Air and Jeju Air - also fly to Incheon with daily and 5 times a week flights, respectively. Philippine Air Lines through its Airbus A321 also has its daily flight to Incheon from CRK that started in January 2017.