PAL, Cebu Pacific expand flights in Clark airport

• Both Philippine Airlines and Cebu Pacific are expanding their flight route network out of Clark International Airport

• Effective April 1, PAL will resume services between Clark International Airport and Caticlan, the gateway to Boracay, via a thrice weekly frequency

• Beginning April 2, services between Clark and Busuanga (Coron) will restart via a four times weekly frequency

• Cebu Pacific is adding 13 domestic and international flights in CRK

• It is also getting three additional aircraft that will be based in CRK, on top of the 10 new Airbus NEO aircraft that will be delivered in 2023 to expand the airline’s entire fleet

• Cebu Pacific domestic flights will start in March while international flights will commence in April

Philippine Airlines (PAL) and Cebu Pacific are both expanding their domestic flight network in Clark International Airport (CRK).

Philippine Airlines is reopening flights from Clark to Caticlan (Boracay) and Busuanga (Coron) starting April 2023.

Cebu Pacific, on the other hand, is adding 13 domestic and international flights in CRK, making it the largest airline servicing northern and central Luzon.

Cebu Pacific is also getting three additional aircraft that will be based in CRK, on top of the 10 new Airbus NEO aircraft that will be delivered in 2023 to expand the airline’s entire fleet, the low cost-carrier said in a statement.

Effective April 1, PAL will resume services between CRK and Caticlan, the gateway to Boracay, via a thrice weekly frequency, the flag carrier said in a statement. Flight PR 2376 departs Clark every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday at 3:05PM and arrives in Caticlan at 4:20PM while flight PR 2377 departs Caticlan every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday at 4:40PM and touches down in Clark at 5:55PM.

Beginning April 2, PAL will restart services between Clark and Busuanga (Coron) via a four times weekly frequency. Flight PR 2678 departs every Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday at 3:05PM arrives in Caticlan at 4:10PM while flight PR 2679 departs Caticlan every Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday at 4:30PM and touches down in Clark at 5:40PM.

“The revival of these direct flights will give travelers from Central and Northern Luzon a convenient new way to access Boracay and Coron, demonstrating Clark Airport’s position as a key jump off point to the country’s prime island destination. Philippine Airlines hopes that the new routes will further bolster the full recovery of domestic tourism,” PAL president and chief operating officer Capt. Stanley Ng said.

“We will work in partnership with our stakeholders, including the Clark Airport authorities and the concerned local governments, to effectively build more connectivity between Clark and various regions of the Philippines,”” Ng added.

For his part, Noel Manankil, president and chief executive officer of CRK private operator International Premiere Airport Development Corp., said, “We are happy to welcome the resumption of these two routes from Philippine Airlines. We are proud to be PAL’s partner in making Clark International Airport (CRK) the gateway to these destinations, not only for travelers from Northern and Central Luzon, but also for foreign tourists wishing to experience the beauty of the Philippines.”

At present, PAL operates daily flights between CRK and Mactan-Cebu International Airport, as well as international services from Clark to Seoul and Busan in Korea for the winter season.

“We aim to leverage on the strengths of Clark and maximize its potential as another PAL hub for both domestic and international flights,” Ng said.

Cebu Pacific domestic flights will start in March. These include:

• Clark – Cebu, 7x weekly by March
• Clark – Caticlan, 14x weekly by April
• Clark – Davao, 11x weekly by April
• Clark – Iloilo, 3x weekly by April
• Clark – Bacolod, 3x weekly by April
• Clark – General Santos, 3x weekly by April
• Clark – Cagayan de Oro, 3x weekly by May
• Clark – Puerto Princesa, 3x weekly by June

International destinations, meanwhile, will start in April:

• Clark – Hong Kong, 14x weekly by April
• Clark – Bangkok, 7x weekly by April
• Clark – Singapore, 7x weekly by April
• Clark – Macau, 3x weekly by April
• Clark – Narita, 4x weekly by May

“We are excited to reestablish our presence in such an important gateway that will boost accessibility and connectivity for the traveling public. Furthermore, it allows us to boost our third operating hub in the Philippines that will help generate economic opportunities to support the country’s growth agenda,” Cebu Pacific president and chief commercial officer Xander Lao said.

Cebu Pacific said data from the International Air Transport Association (IATA) show that every job in the air transport industry supports 29 other jobs in tourism, supply chain and other related sectors. This means that with Cebu Pacific hiring at least 140 pilots, cabin crew, and on-ground staff for its Clark hub, more than 4,000 jobs for the locals can be produced.

CRK’s Manankil said: “With the resumption of pre-pandemic Cebu Pacific flights and the introduction of new routes, travelers may now seamlessly connect international and domestic destinations from this world-class terminal.”

Transport Secretary Jaime Bautista said the new flights “would steer the transport sector, specifically the aviation industry, toward full recovery.”

“The increased connectivity from Clark will also help develop the station as a premiere hub for aviation and international logistics in the Asia-Pacific region,” he added.