This artist’s rendition of the new passenger terminal of the Clark International Airport shows some giant Christmas lanterns. (Courtesy of LIPAD)
MANILA, Philippines — The Clark International Airport (CRK) in Pampanga opened the gates of its new passenger terminal building on Monday, the Department of Transportation (DOTr) announced.
The DOTr said that with the start of its operations, “more opportunities in the areas of employment, investment, tourism, and other socio-economic sectors are expected to open up, not only in Central Luzon, but in the rest of the country.”
The 110,000 square-meter new terminal, according to the DOTr, boasts a capacity of at least 8 million passengers annually, which the department hopes will be able to decongest the Ninoy Aquino International Airport in Metro Manila.
It is also equipped with contactless features such as self-service check-in kiosks and bag drop systems, all-gender restrooms, nursing stations, multi-faith prayer rooms, and the country’s first-ever lounge dedicated exclusively to overseas Filipino workers (OFWs).
“Despite and notwithstanding the COVID-19 pandemic, sige-sige at tuluy-tuloy ang trabaho para mapakinabangan agad ang proyekto ng ating mga kababayan. Kaya naman natapos sa kabila ng pandemya. This project is a living proof that if we work together and jointly commit ourselves to provide a life of comfort and convenience for all, nothing will be impossible,” DOTr Sec. Arthur Tugade said in a statement.
The terminal building was a joint project between the DOTr and Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA), making it the first hybrid public-private partnership (PPP) project under the Build Build Build program.
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