Preparations on to get Clark international airport ready for diverted flights

CLARK FIELD, Pampanga — The bureaus of Customs and immigration are set to declare the 2,500-hectare Clark International Airport (CIA) as a "principal port" as preparations are underway for the diversion here of passenger flights to the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) from midnight to 7 a.m., starting Nov. 1.

Emmanuel Angeles, Clark Development Corp. (CDC) president and chief executive officer, said the CIA’s second runway will be lighted up in time for the diversion of NAIA flights, mostly from the US West Coast.

The flights will be diverted here for at least six months to pave the way for the asphalt overlaying of NAIA’s only runway.

"We are doing all the preparations. By Aug. 15, we would have completed the plans for implementation in preparation for Clark’s being an alternate international airport," Angeles said.

He said the $1 million to be spent on the lighting equipment to be installed on CIA’s second runway would be part of the advance payment of United Parcel Service (UPS), the world’s largest package delivery firm, which is set to invest some P500 million for its Asian hub here

"UPS will operate at Clark soon, and it will need the runways for its five daily flights starting Oct. 28," Angeles said.

Clark has two runways, each with a length of 3.2 kilometers, which can accommodate large aircraft, including Boeing planes which will be fielded next year.

Also in preparation for the diversion of NAIA flights, a temporary passenger lounge will be built at the CIA passenger terminal which at present accommodates only a maximum of 500 passengers at any given time.

Angeles said the terminal’s expansion would not conflict with the government’s contract with the Philippine International Air Terminals Corp. (Piatco) which bars the government from operating any new passenger terminal in Luzon until its new passenger terminal at NAIA could have served 10 million passengers annually for three consecutive years.

"There’s no conflict with (the) Piatco (contract) since what we are building will only be temporary," he said.