The biggest business groups in Central and Northern Luzon have expressed support to government moves to bring to other alterntive airports the so-called turboprop flight operations from Ninoy Aquino International Airport.
The Clark Investors and Locators Association, Pampanga Chamber of Commerce and Industry Inc., Metro Angeles Chamber of Commerce & Industry, Inc., together with the
American Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines-North Luzon, Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry-Tarlac, Metro Clack ICT Council, Subic Bay Freeport Chamber of Commerce, Freeport Area of Bataan Investors and Locators Association and the Hotels and Restaurants Association in Pampanga have passed a joint resolution last week that calls for such move.
A copy of the resolution obtained by the Pampanga News Now stated that the call is premised on the following:
– This measure together with other interventions planned for NAIA will not only decongest the airport but also allow it to meet projected growth in passenger traffic in a more expedient manner thereby mitigating challenges such as frequent delays, crowded terminals, and compromised service quality;
– It would free up valuable runway slots that would allow NAIA to accommodate more larger, long-haul aircraft that require shorter distances between planes in the same route, reducing runway congestion and minimizing delays;
– Redistributing turboprop flights to alternative airports such as the Clark International Airport (CRK) or the Sangley Point Airport (SGL) with underutilized capacities will improve the overall absorptive capacity of the country for international as well as domestic flights and catalyze economic growth in their respective sphere of operations.
Although not directly endorsing the CRK, the group stated that “transferring turboprop flights to Clark International Airport (CRK) would create more direct connections to regions 1, 2, 3 and the CARR, making travel more accessible and affordable to about 23 million people from these regions as well as the 7 million people from the northern part of the National Capital Region.
Cebu Pacific has readily agreed to the call, initially with its flights to Masbate and Siargao towards the end of this month that will now utilize CRK. Other flights making use of turboprop aircraft will also be scheduled to be moved to a later date.
The same aircraft movement is also expected of Philippine Airlines.
The CRK has been recognized as one of the world’s most beautiful airports. Its initial capacity can accommodate 8 million passengers annually. In 2024, its service has only peaked to 2.4 million passengers which is still below the pre-pandemic level.
