First and foremost, I would like to express my appreciation for your efforts in resuming more domestic and international flights from the Clark International Airport starting this April. We, residents of Central Luzon and nearby northern regions are dedicated patrons of this airport as we find the comfort and practicality of not having to travel as far as Manila to depart from NAIA and suffer all the dreaded traffic not to mention the crowded and disorganized lanes there.
I remember writing about this in my previous column published in February 2016:
Let’s use Clark Airport!
Time is gold―indeed. For most of us who are always on the go, either ordinary employees or busy entrepreneurs who have our own businesses, time is of the essence. Every second and every minute in one’s day do matter a lot. The precious time intended to be spent on more important matters like time for the family, for other things at work, or even time for one’s self should not be put to waste as much as possible.
So imagine, being stuck inside the airport (or at times inside the airplane) for several hours after hearing the announcement that your flight is delayed due to airport congestion or even the heavy air traffic going to the Manila terminal, and also think about the wasted time while the plane is going around for at least an hour waiting for clearance to land. One thing will definitely come to one’s mind, and that is disappointment and annoyance for all the inconveniences caused by the delay such as scheduled appointments that will be missed, the anticipation of the heavy traffic in Manila, and even consideration of the people waiting for your arrival.
All of these hassles can be solved by one thing—the diversion of some flights to the Clark International Airport, which is a long-time proposition advocated by some government officials in Pampanga and in Central Luzon, the Clark Development Corporation (CDC), Bases and Conversion Authority (BCDA), local civic organizations and media groups, and most especially the frequent flyers coming from Regions 1, 2, 3, and CAR.
Firstly, it is a fact that Clark Airport has the longest runway in the country, (or even in Asia). According to Clarkairport.com, it has “two 3,200-meter parallel runways, one of which will be extended to 4,000 meters to accommodate new generation wide-bodied aircraft. The airport’s primary runway has a length of 3,200 meters and a width of 60 meters and it is equipped with various navigational aids and lighting facilities, and it has a Category 1 rating for precision approach.”
In fact, on our supposed first international trip as a family, I booked a flight last January 2020 from Clark to Macau and Hongkong to Clark. As we all know, these scheduled flights were suspended and canceled because of the worldwide lockdown caused by COVID-19 spread across the globe. I was left with no option to refund the airfare and was compelled to store this in a travel fund. And so, we waited patiently as travel restrictions were lifted and most of the local and foreign tourist destinations opened up again for visiting tourists.
Hongkong is the first international destination included in our bucket list for my family of four. As soon as Hongkong eased up and gave the green light to tourists early this year, I checked on flights departing from Clark, but to no avail. I finalized the schedule of our trip and availed flights coming from Manila instead. Aside from the mandatory travel tax, we will be spending on fuel consumption and toll fees from Pampanga to Manila.
Until last week, Cebu Pacific conducted a marketing and media launch in Clark announcing the Seat Sale and the resumption of domestic and international flights. As reported by the Philippine News Agency yesterday:
"Low-cost carrier Cebu Pacific (CEB) announced Monday it is boosting its Clark hub with three additional planes and operating 13 international and domestic destinations. Via Clark, CEB flies to Caticlan, Davao, Cebu, Iloilo, Bacolod in the Visayas; General Santos City and Cagayan de Oro in Mindanao; and Puerto Princesa City, Palawan in Luzon. Those traveling to Hong Kong, Bangkok, Singapore, Narita and Macau can fly directly from the Clark International Airport in Pampanga."
And so on this premise, I would like to humbly propose or suggest consideration for the passengers residing in Central Luzon and nearby regions who badly wish to depart from Clark starting this April. I hope that Cebu Pacific give free rebooking of booked flights from Manila to Clark for flights starting this April 2023. If this suggestion or request is granted, it will be a great relief for us ordinary consumers who are the primary target market of Cebu Pacific.
As I have concluded in 2016: "This move will not only ease the perennial issues of airport congestion in Manila, but will, more importantly, accord the air commuters the valuable time they deserve through the convenient, hassle-free, and progressive travelling opportunities each and every time."