AMID unsolicited proposals to establish new and modern airports in Bulacan and Sangley Point in Cavite, the government’s chief economic planner still views Clark International Airport as the “superior” option to decongest Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA).
LISTED Megawide Construction Corp. remains interested in taking part in the development of Clark International Airport, after the government announced it will pursue the project on its own first and eventually bid out the operations and maintenance of the gateway.
THE PHILIPPINES needs to be “very very cautious” about becoming a member of China’s Asia Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB), President Benigno S. C. Aquino III said at a conference in Japan on Wednesday, with the government obliged to consider Beijing’s behavior in the Scarborough Shoal crisis of 2012, during which the Export-Import Bank of China (China EximBank) called in a loan that was to fund a rail line to Clark International Airport.
A proposal to rename Clark International Airport after former President Corazon Aquino, the late mother of President Benigno Aquino III, is currently being studied at the House of Representatives. House Bill No. 321, filed in July 2013 by Pampanga Rep. Joseller “Yeng” Guiao, seeks to rename Clark International Airport Corp. (CIAC) into the Corazon C. Aquino International Authority (CCAIA). A technical working group (TWG) has been created to study the bill following preliminary deliberations on Feb. 19 by the joint committee on government enterprises and privatization, and transportation. In the bill’s explanatory note, Guiao stressed the need to develop a more stable and streamlined authority to manage Clark International Airport since plans to develop it into a world-class international airport has been hampered by the “inadequate powers and functions” exercised by CIAC. The lawmaker said the creation of CCAIA will “ensure the development of [Clark International Airport] as the Philippines’ next premier international airport.” No statement has been provided in the bill, however, to explain why the airport should be named after the President’s late mother. Guiao has not yet issued a comment on his bill as of posting time. Clark International Airport was previously renamed into the Diosdado Macapagal International Airport during the time of former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. The airport was reverted back to its old name in 2012. Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA), the country’s premier international airport, was named after Pres. Aquino’s late father, Benigno Aquino Jr., who was assassinated at the tarmac of what used Read More …
A P360-million project to expand the capacity of Clark International Airport is expected to be complete by yearend — ahead of a June 2014 target — the airport management said in a statement yesterday.
Just like its infamous traffic gridlock, Manila’s airport woes have defied solution for the longest time. But if our officials are to be believed, there is a glimmer of hope, at least on the airport scene. (Forget the monstrous traffic jams on EDSA, they’re beyond salvation.) The Aquino administration is hell-bent on finding a long-term solution to Manila’s airport woes after numerous rehabilitation efforts at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) have failed to uplift the gateway’s reputation as one of the world’s worst airports. Transportation and Communications Secretary Emilio Abaya said the government is studying several options on whether to rebuild NAIA into a modern facility or move the international airport somewhere else. In a speech before the Makati Business Club last April, Abaya said his department has submitted three proposals on the airport system to President Aquino and the Cabinet. The first option, Abaya said, involves a single airport system. Under this proposal, the government will end operations at NAIA and sell the property, and develop the Clark International Airport in Pampanga. The second option is the twin airport system, where the government will develop Clark while maximizing operations at NAIA through 2025. At the same time, the government will look at an alternative site for a new airport, preferably 25 kilometers or 30 minutes away from the NAIA. The third option is also a twin system, where the government will develop both Clark and NAIA, while considering an alternative airport. “Previously, the direction was to move all Read More …
MANILA, Philippines – The Department of Transportation and Communication (DOTC) is considering a number of options for the Philippine airport system including the plans to develop two major gateways for the country. Speaking before the members of the Makati Business Club on Thursday, DOTC Secretary Joseph Abaya revealed three proposals, with the first one involving a single airport system. With this scheme, the government will close the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) and develop the Clark International Airport in Pampanga. The second option is to make a dual airport system, where the government will develop the Clark airport while maximizing operations at the NAIA through 2025 and also look for a new gateway site 30 minutes away from the said airport. The third option also involves a dual system, where the government will develop both the Clark airport and the NAIA, while considering an alternative airport. “Previously, the direction was to move all NAIA’s current operations to Clark International Airport within the next 5 to 7 years. What is clear now is that we need Clark to absorb some of the traffic in NAIA,” Abaya said. Abaya noted that passenger demand keeps surging and in some places, two major airports are really needed. “That steadily increasing demand is what we expect for Manila, especially with the [Department of Tourism] doing so well in drawing tourists to the country. We will be seeking approval from the President to aggressively expand and promote Clark,” Abaya said. Abaya also clarified that the ongoing Read More …
MANILA, Apr 24 (Mabuhay) – Passenger volume at the Clark International Airport surged 62 percent in the first quarter of the year, or 408,895 compared to 252,163 in the same period last year, according to the Clark International Airport Corp. (CIAC). On a by-month basis, CIAC said passengers who used the international gateway in Pampanga surged […]