First Shanghai Airlines flight lands at DMIA

CLARK ZONE, Pampanga – The first flight of Shanghai Airlines with 227 passengers from the Chinese mainland arrived at around 1:30 p.m. on Monday at the Diosdado Macapagal International Airport (DMIA) here.

The flight was among three chartered flights that would be landed at the DMIA, said Clark International Airport Corp. (CIAC) president and CEO Victor Jose Luciano.

Officials of the Shanghai Airlines said there are nearly 40 million Chinese tourists traveling each year and they are considering tapping the tourism area of Clark ecozone, taking into consideration the "hospitality" of Filipinos.

Luciano earlier announced that three chartered flights carrying Chinese tourists are scheduled to arrive at the DMIA this month. The two others are expected to arrive on Oct. 6 and 27.

"This will be the first that will arrive from mainland China," the arrival of more charter flights and budget airlines are good indications." We are expecting more low cost carriers to utilize DMIA in a bid to spur economic growth," said the CIAC head.

Shanghai Airlines officials have also indicated plans to start using DMIA as a permanent entry point to the Philippines in the future as CIAC undertakes the improve—ment of the existing Terminal 1.

Xie Jin Yi, Shanghai Airlines Co. Ltd. general manager and operations control center manager, earlier noted " a very bright future" for DMIA. Xie along with Ding Xingguo met with CIAC officials led by EVP Alexander Cauguiran and executive assistant to the president Ritchie Nacpil last month.

Shanghai Airlines is based at the Shanghai-Pudong International Airport, which is located in the eastern part of Pudong District in Shanghai, China.