The Clark International Airport (CRK) has started its operation following the government’s decision to transfer all departing and arriving flights after its modernization.
In a statement, the Department of Transportation said the opening of the Clark International Airport (CRK) on Monday, May 2, is aimed at making the airport to be Asia’s next premier gateway.
The airport has undergone aggressive construction and renovation and that was completed in 2020. The opening, however, was affected by the Covid-19 pandemic.
“This project is a living proof that if we work together and jointly commit ourselves to provide a life of comfort and convenience for all, nothing will be impossible,” said DOTr Sec. Art Tugade.
The 110,000 square-meter new CRK terminal has a design capacity of at least eight million passengers annually, providing Filipinos with a transport facility that will help decongest the Ninoy Aquino International Airport in Metro Manila.
Domestic and international travelers at the terminal were introduced to its facilities equipped for the new normal of travel.
These include contactless features such as self-service check-in kiosks and bag drop systems, on top of inclusive amenities including all-gender restrooms, nursing stations, multi-faith prayer rooms, and the country’s first-ever lounge dedicated exclusively for overseas Filipino workers (OFWs).
A joint project by the DOTr and the Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA), the new passenger terminal building is the first hybrid public-private partnership (PPP) project under the Build Build Build program of the Duterte administration.
In January 2021, the DOTr and BCDA turned over the new airport terminal to its operations and maintenance partner, the Luzon International Premiere Airport Development (LIPAD) Corporation.
With the start of operations at the new CRK terminal, Tugade said more opportunities in the areas of employment, investment, tourism, and other socio-economic sectors are expected to open up, not only in Central Luzon, but in the rest of the country.
Published May 3, 2022, 1:31 PM
by Aaron Recuenco
