Arroyo: Clark aiport better alternative to Naia

House Speaker Arroyo discusses the expansion of the Clark airport with project managers. Photo from the Office of the Speaker

House Speaker Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo underscored on Friday that the Clark International Airport (CIA) in Pampanga is a better option to decongest the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (Naia) in Pasay City.

Arroyo said this on the sidelines of an impromptu tour of the currently being expanded CIA in response to queries if she would push for the airport to become an alternative to Naia in light of the recent incident that left thousands of passengers stranded.

Last Thursday night, Xiamen Air Flight MF8667 skidded off the runway, prompting delays in and cancellations of several international and local flights, and leaving thousands of passengers stranded at Naia.

READ: Naia chaos brings misery to thousands of passengers

“Actually I have been for it and it’s not because of any specific knee-jerk reaction to any event. That’s why after our lunch I want to invite the media to go to the ongoing construction of the Clark airport,” she said in an ambush interview after she distributed relief goods to more than 600 Aeta families in upland Sitio Pasbul in Brgy. Camias, in Porac, Pampanga.

The former President then invited members of the media to visit the ongoing expansion of the CIA and asked project managers to hold a briefing on the construction of the second terminal.

In a statement, the Speaker cited that the expansion project would increase the current 2.5 million passengers per year capacity of the current terminal to 10 to 12 million passengers per year. It will be operational by June 2020.

Alex Cauguiran, president of CIA, was also quoted as saying that the 210-hectare CIA is the better alternative to Naia as it can accommodate up to three runways and 80 million passengers a year.

Aside from decongesting Naia, he also said the expansion of the Clark airport is part of a bigger development plan for North and Central Luzon as the new terminal would complement other infrastructure projects in the zone which include the Manila-Clark Railway, Subic-Clark Cargo Railway, and the New Clark City.  /muf