BAGUIO CITY – More than P17.2 billion was earmarked by the Clark International Airport Corporation (CIAC) for the on-going expansion of the airport terminal structures to increase its carrying capacity to over 12 million passengers annually starting middle of 2020.
CIAC president Alexander S. Cauguiran said that P10 billion will be used primarily for the terminal building and other structures, P5 billion will be used for the installation of the appropriate units of equipment and other state-of the-art instruments while P2.2 billion will be allotted for the implementation of horizontal projects particularly access roads leading to the expanded terminal structures.
He disclosed the terminal expansion project started last year while the bidding for the horizontal component of the initial phase of the overall master plan has just been completed and will start anytime to ensure that it will serve its prescribed purpose once the terminal building will be opened by the middle of 2020.
“We are fastracking the completion of our programmed expansion projects to allow the airport to serve the rapidly increasing number of passengers patronizing the airport to help decongest the already crowded airports in Metro Manila,” Cauguiran stressed.
Last month, he claimed the number of passengers that patronized the airport already reached the one million mark that is why there is a big possibility that the CIAC will be able to overshoot the projected 2.4 million passengers that will use the airport by the end of this year considering the increasing number of airlines expanding their local and international destinations.
As of June 1 this year, Clark international airport hosts 490 flights per week, 332 domestic flights and 158 international flights, which makes it one of the busiest airports in the country to date.
Cauguiran claimed that there are more than 7,000 passengers that patronize the airport daily but the said figure is expected to tremendously increase in the coming days with the expansion of domestic and international routes by the airline companies using the airport.
According to him, for travellers from Central and Northern Luzon and the Caloocan-Malabon-Navotas-Valenzuela area who appreciate the value of time, the Clark international airport is the gateway of choice that provides an easy, predictable and hustle-free experience so that they can spend more time in their desired destinations instead of trying to get to the congested Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA).
Unlike NAIA, he pointed out that Clark does not experience air or land traffic congestions, it has a 484 feet above mean sea level and experiences zero flooding, allowing for safe and secure travel even during the rainy season.
The Clark international airport is strategically located at the heart of Central Luzon and is easily accessible via the North Luzon Expressway (NLEX), Subic-Clark Expressway (SCTEX), Tarlac-Pangsainan-La Union Expressway (TPLEX) and the Central Luzon expressway and it adheres to set process cycle times for passenger facilitation, allowing for efficient and predictable processing, thereby reducing waiting time, and provides free wifi at the terminal for access to real time information.
By Dexter A. See
