CLARK FREEPORT ZONE -- Luzon International Premiere Airport Development (Lipad) Corporation formally assumed Friday, August 16, the Operations and Maintenance (O&M) of Clark International Airport (CRK) and its existing facilities.
Lipad is a consortium of Filinvest Development Corporation, JG Summit Holdings Inc., Philippine Airport Ground Support Solutions Inc., and Changi Airports Philippines (I) Pte. Ltd.
It was awarded with a 25-year concession agreement for the O&M of CRK by Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA) in January 2019.
“Lipad Corporation is strongly committed to the goal of accelerating economic development and contributing to the rise and prosperity of a new Central Luzon by working towards positioning Clark as the premier international gateway. We envision CRK to be the country’s premier gateway by revolutionizing the way we travel and the way the world experiences the Philippines,” CEO Bi Yong Chungunco said.
To mark its takeover, the company unveiled a new logo for CRK which was inspired by the colors of the surrounding nature and the vibrancy of Clark Development Corporation’s logo which is the home of the airport.
Chungunco added that four new international airlines will soon launch routes from CRK in the coming months and six additional food and beverage outlets will open in the airport complex.
Moreover, about 179 former employees of Clark International Airport Corporation were eventually absorbed into the company.
In his message, Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade challenged Lipad Corporation to take CRK to greater heights and make it grow so it becomes the envy of airports within the country and all over the world.
For his part, BCDA president and CEO Vivencio Dizon said the Duterte administration is fully committed in making Clark the next premiere economic hub in Asia, and critical to this is the development of CRK.
“We are fortunate to have the Lipad Corporation, a powerhouse consortium to help us with this vision and make the airport one of the biggest and most modern airports in the world,” Dizon said.
Primed to be Asia’s premier gateway, CRK posted a record 2.6 million passengers, and registered an average of 246 international flights and 488 domestic flights weekly in 2018.
By 2020, Lipad will also take the lead in the development of commercial assets and O&M of the project facilities of the airport’s new Passenger Terminal Building (PTB), which is now 74.55 percent complete.
The new PTB will boost the operational capacity of the airport, and triple the current passenger capacity of 4.2 million to 12.2 million passengers annually.
It will be connected to Philippine National Railways Clark Phase 2. This is a 53.1-kilometer passenger railway that will connect Malolos City to CRK.
This line will reduce travel time from Manila to Clark to less than an hour from the current time of two to three hours by car or bus. (PR)