NEWS

By Myla Iglesias

The expansion of the country’s leading low-cost carrier in Clark International Airport will hasten the gateway’s transformation as the fastest growing hub in the country in the next five years given the constraints at the country’s premier gateway Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA).

Lance Gokongwei, Cebu Pacific president and chief operating officer (CEO) said by the end of the year, the airline will be the largest carrier in Clark airport in terms of capacity, with over 28 percent of all seats offered and over 180 more flights per week.

Cebu Pacific expects to sustain this growth in the next five years.

“I do expect that Clark will be the fastest growing hub in the next five years, it can easily triple in the next five years.” Gokongwei said at the launch of the carrier’s three new flights from Clark last Friday.

Cebu Pacific last week started direct flights from Clark to Bacolod, Iloilo and Narita, Japan, making it the first Philippine carrier to mount direct flights between Clark and Tokyo.

The carrier will also begin flying daily between Clark and Puerto Princesa in Palawan by the fourth quarter of 2019.

These four new routes will boost Cebu Pacific’s total capacity in Clark by 40 percent in 2019 alone.

The budget carrier will likely surpass Philippine Airlines which was the leading carrier in Clark airport last year given its most number of domestic and international flights.

“We have been operating flights in and out of Clark since 2006. The opening of these new routes is a testament of how committed we are to continuously develop this hub—we are not only establishing seamless inter-island connections, but also opening up North Luzon to more potential entrepreneurs, both local and foreign, furthering tourism, trade and investment opportunities in Clark and its surrounding areas,” Gokongwei said.

“Clark itself is growing center of the huge catchment, I think the infrastructure to Clark (will) definitely improve by 2025 with the railway (operation), it’ going to grow definitely. The constraints in NAIA are also supporting the growth of Clark,” he added.

Cebu Pacific’s expansion in Clark is in line with the company’s goal to serve more passengers. “Our continued investment in Clark is integral to Cebu Pacific’s own goals of carrying over 200 million passengers by 2020 and serving over 300 million passengers by 2022 on our boarder prospective.” Gokongwei said.

Flights from Clark to Bacolod and Iloilo run daily, while direct service to and from Narita is scheduled four times weekly (Monday, Wednesday, Friday, Sunday).

Cebu Pacific flies to four other domestic destinations (Cebu, Caticlan, Tagbilaran, Davao); and three other international destinations (Singapore, Macau and Hong Kong).

The airline is set to receive over 60 aircraft in the next eight years.

Aside from Clark, Cebu Pacific operates flights out of six other strategically placed hubs in the Philippines: Manila, Kalibo, Iloilo, Cebu, Cagayan de Oro (Laguindingan) and Davao. Cebu Pacific operates over 2,000 weekly flights across 37 domestic and 26 international destinations.

Source: Malaya