New Clark airport terminal to open with contactless passenger solutions

THE new passenger terminal of Clark International Airport (CRK) is set to be operational this coming July with several features and measures to prevent the spread of coronavirus, including contactless transactions.

The Luzon International Premier Airport Development Corporation (Lipad) said to be better, it has to focus on something that sounds radical when talking about airports -- quietude.

In this time of global health concerns, to be better is to have more “contactless” solutions, Lipad said.

Lipad is at the helm of the operations and management of CRK and has promised the public that the new terminal, while being a mega project with four levels, 110,000 square meters, and 8 million passenger capacity, is a terminal of safety, ease and quiet.

Lipad Chief Executive Officer Bi Yong Chungunco revealed that the peace of mind of travelers is high in the airport’s priority.

Design and processes at the terminal have this as guiding principle, according to her.

“We will operate a ‘silent airport policy,’ meaning it will be the quietest and most relaxing airport in the Philippines," Chungunco said.

She added that there will no longer be a cacophony of voices, such as calls for boarding and departures, to save for emergencies.

Travelers will rely on posted updates for quick reference, she said.

Passengers will be more at ease with the options that have no face-to-face interaction.

Among these are the common-use self-service kiosks (CUSS) and the self-service bag drops.

Travelers can check-in at these kiosks shared by other airlines and that are without the need for ground staff.

Deeply intuitive design is also what the terminal’s interiors strive for. It focuses on giving the travelers a sense of familiarity and rids itself of complexities.

Travelers of all kinds have varying backgrounds and such a design allows for each traveler to have that feeling of being guided through the process through the interplay of finer details, even with the protocols for safe distancing and all necessary measures to ensure passenger safety in a pandemic.

Part of this is the use of color as consistent distinctions for certain uses.

In the terminal, the use of green points to international flights, while blue points to domestic flights.

Lipad said the new terminal’s look took inspiration from nearby natural formations and landscapes, including the vast mountain ranges of Zambales and Mount Arayat in Pampanga.

The airport’s color palette integrated muted greens and blues with soft grays and browns, mimicking riverbeds, caves, and bodies of water such as the crater lake of Mount Pinatubo.

"A passenger enters the terminal and goes to the check-in counters. After checking in, one goes straight to screening. After screening, one turns right for domestic flights or goes the other direction for immigration and international boarding," Lipad said.

Clark is determined to make passage through its terminal a refreshing breeze for travelers, Chungunco said.