(PHOTO from Cebu Pacific)
MANILA, Philippines — Cebu Pacific Air (CEB) expanded its operations at Clark International Airport, making it the largest airline servicing northern and central Luzon areas.
CEB, in a statement released on Tuesday, said that it would operating a combined 13 domestic and international flights at Clark International Airport.
The airline will also procure three additional aircraft to be based in Clark, along with ten new Airbuses expected to be delivered this year.
“We are excited to reestablish our presence in such an important gateway that will boost accessibility and connectivity for the traveling public,” said Cebu Pacific President and Chief Commercial Officer (CCO) Xander Lao.
“Furthermore, it allows us to boost our third operating hub in the Philippines that will help generate economic opportunities to support the country’s growth agenda,” Lao added.
Accordingly, the expansion of CEB is also expected to generate job opportunities as data from the International Air Transport Association show that every job in the air transport industry supports 29 other jobs in tourism.
Meanwhile, the Department of Transportation (DOTr) lauded the partnership initiative between Cebu Pacific and Clark International Airport.
“This would steer the transport sector, specifically the aviation industry, toward full recovery. The increased connectivity from Clark will also help develop the station as a premiere hub for aviation and international logistics in the Asia-Pacific region,” DOTr Secretary Jaime Bautista said.
New flights to boost tourism in Clark, decongest NAIA
The Department of Tourism (DOT), in a separate statement on Tuesday, said that the newly reopened flights would further boost tourism in Clark, Pampanga, and help in decongesting the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA).
“These flights will further invigorate the growing interest in our destinations among both domestic and international tourists and further add to livelihood and employment opportunities for our tourism stakeholders and frontliners,” said Tourism Sec. Christina Frasco.
The reopened flights will service Caticlan, Davao, Cebu, Iloilo, Bacolod, General Santos, and Cagayan de Oro starting in April, while the Puerto Princesa route will begin in June.
The international routes include Clark to Hong Kong, Bangkok, and Singapore.
Meanwhile, Philippine Airlines also established flights on a scheduled basis from Clark to Caticlan starting April 1 and Clark to Busuanga flights on April 2.
Furthermore, DOT has been working with the DOTr pushing to maximize Clark and to establish it as a viable alternate airport to decongest NAIA.
“With the additional flights we meet a number of objectives: the decongestion of NAIA and minimizing crowding in other airports, as well as develop the region further and attract more tourism activities and businesses in the area,” Frasco said.
Currently, Clark International Airport is only operating at 12 percent capacity, receiving only around 80,000 passengers a month despite its eight million annual passenger capacity. (Denver Godezano, INQUIRER.net trainee, Vance Chan, INQUIRER.net trainee)
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