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The newly completed second passenger terminal building of Clark International Airport (CRK) awaits the green light from aviation regulators to begin operations
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The Department of Transportation said operations of the terminal will start within the year
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CRK is being positioned as “Asia’s next premier gateway,” a state-of-the-art international airport that aims to make air travel hassle-free and effortless
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The new terminal has a floor area of 110,000 square meters that can accommodate up to 8 million passengers annually
Operations of the newly completed second passenger terminal building (PTB) of Clark International Airport (CRK) will begin within the year.
The PTB is just awaiting the green light from aviation regulators, according to the Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA) and the Department of Transportation (DOTr) in separate statements.
The statements came after a ceremonial inspection of the new PTB on July 17 by government officials, led by President Rodrigo Duterte.
READ: Clark airport’s new terminal operational by July
Last June, DOTr said the new PTB would be open for domestic flights by July, six months after its formal turnover on January 22 to Luzon International Premier Airport Development Corp. (LIPAD). The private operator was awarded the 25-year concession to operate and maintain the CRK in August 2019. International services would start in September.
READ: New passenger terminal building handed over to Clark airport operator
CRK is being positioned as “Asia’s next premier gateway,” a state-of-the-art international airport equipped for contactless baggage handling, passenger check-ins and check-outs, and an ordering system that is aimed at making air travel hassle-free and effortless.
The new PTB features many firsts, such as restrooms that are gender-inclusive and disable-friendly, an advanced docking guidance system, and a Heroes Lounge for soldiers, police officers and Overseas Filipino Workers.
CRK will also implement a silent airport policy, limiting announcements through the public address system.
With a floor area of 110,000 square meters, the terminal can accommodate up to 8 million passengers annually in addition to the 4.2 million passengers the existing terminal can handle.
The second PTB, located 1.5 kilometers from the existing passenger terminal, has four floor levels and 18 aero bridges or passenger boarding bridges.
The new PTB is envisioned to help spur economic progress and development in Central Luzon, and ease congestion at the country’s main gateway, Ninoy Aquino International Airport.
The expanded CRK is expected to create 150,000 new jobs and, through production links, support industries such as tourism, food and beverage, services, infrastructure, agriculture, and manufacturing.
LIPAD said the new PTB has been designed to be a space of safety, ease, and quiet, with peace of mind of travelers a top priority, especially in this time of global health crisis.
“Intuitive and inclusive—this will be our mantra for the new Clark International Airport. LIPAD designed CRK to be the airport of choice for travelers flying in or out of the Philippines. Top priority is to fulfil the mission of giving passengers a world-class travel experience, through new technologies that support a seamless process and commercial offerings that constantly cater to passengers’ needs while still maintaining that signature Filipino, and of course, Pampango experience,” LIPAD chief executive officer Bi Yong Chungunco said.
