DMIA - NEWS

19 % increase in Clark airport international passengers noted CLARK FREEPORT, Pampanga - The Diosdado Macapagal International Airport (DMIA) has reached an unprecedented

growth of 725,023 international passenger or a 19-percent increase for the year 2011.

Clark International Airport Corporation (CIAC) President and CEO Victor Jose Luciano said information transmitted by the CIAC

Corporate Planning Department showed the international passenger volume increased to 725,023 in 2011 compared to 607,704 passengers in 2010, or a difference of 117,319 representing the 19-percent increase in international passengers. Luciano specifically pointed out that for December 2011 alone, a tremendous increase in international passenger volume

of 80,802 was achieved, representing a 36 percent increase over the 59,045 figure for the same period last year.

"This is an accomplishment for the DMIA as it is the first time that a tremendous increase in international passenger

volume was achieved and in a month alone in December. This only shows that the Clark airport is being recognized around the

world," Luciano said. He attributed the increase in the December passenger volume to the Christmas season where many of the passengers,

especially overseas Filipino workers (OFWs), came home for the holidays.

The CIAC chief said that since 2003, the Clark airport has already carried more than 3.5 million international passengers

that, by the end of 2012, may reach 5 million once Air Asia Philippines starts operations this year.

"We expect a growth in passenger volume once Air Asia Philippines starts its flights out of Clark. The Clark airport will

experience an exponential growth in passenger volume in the next five to seven years," he stressed.

Luciano, however, said the existing Passenger Terminal can only accommodate at least 2.5 million passengers annually

but pointed out at the same time that expansion activities are now underway.

He said the bidding process for the second phase of the expansion of the existing terminal has already been started

while CIAC officials prepare the plans for the construction of a separate and new budget terminal that will cost an estimated P12

billion with an annual passenger capacity of 10 million. He said the proposed Budget Terminal will be similar to the Kuala Lumpur International Airport in Malaysia. "The budget terminal is the only the solution to accommodate the 5 million annual passengers that we expect from the

slated operations of the Air Asia hub at Clark," Luciano pointed out.

"We need to construct a bigger terminal because right now, the existing facility is too small. The proposed budget

terminal will be presented to Transportation Secretary Mar Roxas as the Clark airport is being groomed to be the premier

gateway of the country as stated by the transportation secretary himself," he added.

Recently, President Benigno Aquino lll signed Executive Order No. 64 putting CIAC under the authority and supervision of

the DOTC headed by Roxas who will be the airport company's chairman of the board.

The presidential edict is aimed at overseeing the development and programs for the Clark airport.

The DMIA, operated by CIAC, currently averages at least 84 flights a week from the host to air carriers operating at the

airport such as Asiana Airlines and Jin Air of Korea, Air Asia Berhad of Malaysia, Southeast Asian Airlines (Seair) in partnership

with Tiger Airways of Singapore, and Cebu Pacific Air.

publicaffairs@clarkairport.com