By Aerol John Pateña/PNA
MANILA — Passenger volume at the Clark International Airport (CRK) is expected to reach 2.5 million before the year ends.
The Clark airport is expected to register its 2.5 millionth passenger around the third week of December this year, according to Clark International Airport Corporation (CIAC) President and Chief Executive Officer Jaime Melo.
“CRK is now one of the country’s busiest airports and this 2.5 million passenger mark is another record-breaking milestone for Clark,” Melo said in a statement released to the media late Monday.
“The increase in the number of passengers here at the Clark Airport means we can help ease congestion at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) and in Metro Manila, and at the same time increase economic activities in the central and northern regions,” he added.
Clark Airport has recorded its all-time high of more than 1.5 million passengers in 2017, which translated to 4,500 domestic aircraft movements and 6,484 international aircraft movements. It aims to have 4.5 million passengers flying from Clark annually by the end of 2022.
The Clark airport currently serves 390 domestic and 184 international flights weekly as it targets at least 11 domestic and 24 international destinations for next year.
The government is eyeing to utilize Clark International Airport as an alternative gateway to the country to decongest NAIA, which recorded around 42 million passengers – exceeding its capacity of just 31 million passengers.
