DMIA posts 21% increase in passenger volume amid global economic crisis

DMIA posts 21% increase in passenger volume amid global economic crisis Print
Regions
Written by Jacob Cunanan / Correspondent
Monday, 20 July 2009 21:58

CLARK FREE PORT, Pampanga—Amid a downturn in the aviation industry caused by the global economic crisis, the Diosdado Macapagal International Airport (DMIA) here continues to attract more passengers as it posted a 21-percent increase in international passenger volume in the first five months of 2009.

 This was revealed by Clark International Airport Corp. (CIAC) president and CEO Victor Jose Luciano during the 2009 DMIA product update at the Wow Philippines Central Luzon Tourism Fair at the Clamshell in Intramuros, Manila, recently. 

 A report from the CIAC corporate-planning department showed that 251,719 international passengers passed through the DMIA from January to May this year compared with 208,858 in the same period in 2008, or a difference of 42,861 passengers.

 The report also showed a significant increase of passenger volume in the month of January alone by as much as 27 percent with 53,068 compared with the 41,944 posted in January 2008, a trend that proves the DMIA is one of the busiest airports in the country. 

 “I am happy to report that despite a 16-percent slump in the first five months of 2009 in the entire aviation industry in the Asia-Pacific region caused by the global economic recession and the A[H1N1] virus, the DMIA posted a 21-percent growth over the first five months of 2009,” Luciano told some 200 participants of the DMIA product update. 

“CIAC is now at the forefront of aviation development in the Philippines. The DMIA is an airport that has, over the last four years, created a life of its own. From virtually nothing, the Clark airport will host around 700,000 international passengers, both incoming and outgoing, this year,” Luciano said.

He stressed that the DMIA is now known as “the low-cost airline airport of the Philippines” where low-cost airlines charge cheap fares and provide passenger convenience by making available online booking through the respective web sites of the airlines flying to Clark.

Airlines currently operating at the DMIA include Asiana Airlines of South Korea that flies to Incheon; Air Asia of Malaysia that flies to Kuala Lumpur and Kota Kinabalu; Tiger Airways that flies to Singapore; Cebu Pacific Air that flies to Bangkok, Macau, Hong Kong and Singapore as well as domestically to Cebu; and Southeast Asian Airlines and Zest Air that both fly to Caticlan en route to the island resort of Boracay.

“Very soon, flights to Taiwan and the Middle East by the big legacy airlines will also soon be made available as soon as the new terminal is finished,” the CIAC chief said.

 “We are now promoting Clark to be the international gateway of the Philippines. The terminal is undergoing bidding and we are talking about a speed rail so that in the future, it would be easier for people to go to Clark and take their flights. When we finish the terminal in about two years, we will expect more and more airlines, especially the big airlines, to fly to Clark,” Luciano stressed.

He explained that this development will be beneficial to overseas Filipino workers because they can now fly home more often, could even bring their families along to their country of employment, and they can visit other countries in Southeast Asia.

Luciano also cited that people in Manila, particularly in the northern parts which include Quezon City and the Camanava (Caloocan-Malabon-Navotas-Valenzuela) area, find it more convenient now to fly via the DMIA that could be reached through the North Luzon Expressway that is now connected to the Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway.

  “Clark is the airport of the people of Central Luzon and Northern Luzon. The DMIA is our airport and you will soon see more and more flights for your convenience in the future,” Luciano stressed.

Luciano said CIAC is currently conducting a road show to promote the DMIA and the flights and services it offers.

“The 2009 DMIA road show that has gone around Northern Luzon for the past three months and is expected to reach more areas in the coming months has been a big boost to the airport’s promotional thrust to promote the international flights at the DMIA,” he said, adding there are now moves to bring the road show to countries in the Southeast Asian region.

“We invite the leaders of the travel agencies, the hotel industry, the chambers of commerce, socio-civic organizations such as the Rotary Club and the Jaycees, everybody, to come fly in and out of Clark,” Luciano stressed.

Prior to the Intramuros stop, the ninth for the DMIA road show, it was held in Baguio City on June 30 and has visited the provinces of Bulacan, Zambales, Tarlac and Nueva Ecija in Central Luzon and the Northern Luzon provinces of Pangasinan, Ilocos Norte and Ilocos Sur.
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