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The development of a 750-hectare lot adjacent to Clark International Airport forms part of the airport’s master plan , according to airport head of operations Dante Basanta
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The area is expected to host aviation-related businesses such as MRO, fixed based operations, and cargo warehouses
The development of a 750-hectare civil aviation complex adjacent to Clark International Airport (CRK) is part of the airport master plan, according to Dante Basanta, CRK head of operations.
Under the project’s first phase, the establishment of aviation-related businesses such as maintenance repair and operations (MRO), fixed-based operations, and cargo warehouses are eyed, Basanta said at the recent CRK Conference and Exhibit themed “Clark International Airport: Emerging PH Gateway to Trade and Logistics”. The event was co-organized by PortCalls and Philippine Multimodal Transport and Logistics Association in partnership with CRK, Clark Development Corp and Subic-Clark Alliance for Development.
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The use of the adjacent lot is part of the 25-year concession won by CRK’s private operator, Luzon International Premiere Airport Development Corp. (LIPAD), in 2019.
LIPAD is working with infrastructure consulting firm AECOM Singapore to update CRK’s master plan.
Four cargo storage facilities with over 20,000 square meters (sqm) capacity with cold chain capability are within the CRK premises.
Cargohaus’ facility occupies 15,500 sqm of the total space followed by Clark Airport Support Services Corp. with 4,900 sqm, Isla Bonded Warehouse and Logistics Corp. with 3,500 sqm, and Philippine Airport Ground Support Solutions, Inc.’s facility accounts for 1,033 sqm.
The warehouses are capable of handling perishable cargo, pharmaceutical products, and agricultural products with temperature requirements. Temperature is available from -8 degrees Celsius up to -20 degrees Celsius and from a minimum of 30 cubic meters to a maximum of 50 cubic meters of space.
Outside the airport, Basanta noted FedEx Express will be expanding its operations in Clark, Pampanga by around five times more its current capacity to enable it to operate as a transshipment point for packages.
FedEx’s Phase 1 facility currently has an area of 7,000 sqm.
CRK currently handles 46 times weekly international and domestic scheduled freighter flights. FedEx has 21 times weekly flights to and from Guangzhou, Taipei, and Singapore, while UPS has 6 times weekly flights to and from Shenzhen. Seair has five times weekly flights to and from Cebu and Central Airlines operates three times flights to and from Shenzhen.
For non-scheduled flights, Cargohaus caters to project, spot, and/or regular huge volume cargoes for regional destinations.
For commercial passenger flights, CRK is connected to 10 international destinations with 105 times weekly flights operated by eight foreign and two local carriers.
In June, Asiana will resume operations at CRK while Starlux and AirAsia Philippines will resume flights in August.
In terms of domestic flights, there are is nine destinations with 80 times weekly frequencies operated by five local carriers. In June, Cebu Pacific will launch flights to Puerto Princesa.
At the same conference, Transport Secretary Jaime Bautista pushed for the development of CRK as a transshipment hub for international cargoes supported by aviation-related facilities.
“We should look at developing Clark Airport as a transshipment center aided by fixed-based operators capable of supporting international freight operations as well as MRO (maintenance, repair, and operations), and cargo facilities,” Bautista said in a keynote address at the conference.
The transport chief noted CRK’s location “makes it an ideal transshipment hub for efficient movement of international cargo.” – Roumina Pablo
