More flights to Clark seen

Transportation and Communications Secretary Pantaleon Alvarez is expecting more domestic and foreign airlines to service the Diosdado Macapagal International Airport (DMIA) following the government’s announcement that the former Clark airport would be fully developed into an international gateway.

UPS, the world’s biggest air cargo company, inaugurated its Clark hub last week during the birthday celebration of President Arroyo.

According to Alvarez, the following airlines currently service DMIA:

• Cebu Pacific Airways, three times a week between Manila, Clark and Cebu;

• Seair, daily, Manila to Clark;

• UPS/PEACA, Manila to Clark to Hong Kong;

• International Pacific Airways, international chartered flights from Clark to Taipei.

In addition, the Philippine-Macau air agreement also includes the DMIA as an additional destination, Alvarez said.

The DMIA has an annual passenger traffic of close to 35,000, although it has a capacity of 850,000 passengers.

The Philippine International Air Terminals Corp. (Piatco), operator and concessionaire of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 3, has agreed to drop a provision in its contract with the government limiting DMIA’s capacity to 850,000 passengers annually until such time that Piatco has reached the 10-million passenger level for three consecutive years.