Clark International Airport in Pampanga province. INQUIRER FILE / TONETTE OREJAS
Travelers will soon be able to fly on new Philippine Airlines (PAL) routes from Clark to popular destinations in Mindanao, Mindoro, Palawan and Northern Luzon.
Four new domestic points – Siargao, San Vicente (Palawan), Cauayan (Isabela) and San Jose (Mindoro) – will be added to PAL’s hub at Clark International Airport in Pampanga, cementing the airport’s status as Central Luzon’s aviation center.
On July 1, PAL will inaugurate daily service from Clark to Siargao in Surigao del Norte using the Bombardier Next-Generation Q400 turboprop aircraft.
PAL also flies to Siargao from Davao and Cebu. This resort island has emerged as a vastly more popular holiday destination for both local and foreign tourists, following the introduction of PAL’s Cebu-Siargao route in November 2017 and Cebu-Davao route in March 2018.
On October 28, 2018, PAL will also open regular flights from Clark to the newly opened airport at San Vicente in Northern Palawan, along with Cauayan in Isabela and San Jose in Mindoro.
PAL will fly twice a day to San Vicente, eight times a week to San Jose and six times weekly to Cauayan.
The new 86-seater Q400s – fitted with six Economy Plus seats and 80 Economy Class seats in a roomy cabin layout – will be utilized on these new routes.
These new points will further affirm PAL as the biggest airline operator out of Clark with a total of 19 destinations linked to Clark International Airport. These include Bacolod, Basco, Busuanga, Cagayan de Oro, Calbayog, Catarman, Caticlan, Cauayan, Cebu, Davao, Masbate, Naga, Puerto Princesa, San Jose, San Vicente, Siargao, Tagbilaran, Virac and Seoul (South Korea).
Two new Q400NGs arrived in May and June, enabling PAL to step up the pace of its inter-island route expansion. Five more Q400NGs will be delivered until next year. PAL currently operates seven Q400NGs.
PAL’s build-up of operations at Clark, as well as in Cebu and Davao, aims to significantly enhance travel convenience and connectivity for domestic travelers while helping decongest Manila’s Ninoy Aquino International Airport.
The PAL flights are expected to boost tourism and make it more attractive for foreign tourists to visit multiple destinations throughout the country. /cbb