The Clark International Airport (CIA) in Pampanga, northern Philippines, posted an impressive 71 percent increase in passenger traffic in 2012 year-over-year as it saw a big jump in demand from budget travelers.
Passenger volume at CIA rose to 1.3 million last year from 767,000 in 2011, according to a report by the Clark International Airport Corp. (CIAC).
Victor Jose Luciano, CIAC president and CEO, said the airport achieved the unprecedented growth “on the strength of budget travel that encouraged passengers coming from Northern and Central Luzon and as far as Metro Manila and Southern Tagalog to experience Clark.”
He added that the airport’s performance was also boosted with the launch in April last year by Air Asia, Airphil Express and Southeast Asian Airlines-Tiger of local flights to key domestic tourist destinations.
Clark airport now has eight budget airlines in its stable, the most among airports in the Philippines, said CIAC.
The country’s “pocket open skies” policy encouraging the use of airports other than the Ninoy Aquino International Airport in Manila likewise helped.
Of the airport’s 1.3 million passengers in 2012, international travelers accounted for 1.01 million, or 77 percent of the total.
For 2013, Luciano forecasts sustained growth for the emerging budget airline hub, especially with the introduction of a regular direct bus service from TriNoma Mall in Quezon City to Clark via Mindanao Avenue and the North Luzon Expressway.
The dedicated first-class service begins on January 15 and will charge P200 per passenger, reported the Business Mirror. Three bus companies will initially operate the hour-long Clark-TriNoma run.
Photo from dmia.ph
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