Clark airport to have $9.4-M radar

CLARK FIELD, Pampanga — A $9.4-million, state-of-the-art aviation radar will be installed at the Diosdado Macapagal International Airport (DMIA) here next month and will be operational starting mid-2006.

Bienvenido Manga, vice president of the Clark International Airport Corp. (CIAC), said the radar system, once fully installed, will cut the DMIA’s dependence on the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA).

Danilo Francia, CIAC president and chief executive officer, went to Italy recently for the "final acceptance" of the radar with brand name Selenia manufactured by the Italian firm Selex, formerly known as Alenia Marconi, Manga said.

"It will take six to seven months to complete the installation of the radar which will be fully digitized and computerized. Once finished, it will be the country’s second radar of such kind, the first being at the NAIA," he said.

Manga said all the parts of the radar system will be flown in from Italy before yearend.

Manga said the DMIA hosts regular flights of Asiana Airlines of Korea, Tiger Asia of Singapore, Air Asia of Malaysia, Far Eastern Transport of Taiwan, and China Rich of Hong Kong, apart from domestic carriers. — Ding Cervantes