Clark International Airport: Asia’s Next Premier Gateway
An interview with Jaime Melo, President, Clark International Airport Corporation

CLARK FREEPORT ZONE – Since the establishment of Clark International Airport (CRK) as an alternative gateway to the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA), a lot of developments have already been made that was designed to relieve congestion at the country’s main aviation complex.

President of Clark International Airport Corporation, Jaime Melo said that CRK has grown a lot, citing that Terminal 1 is already functioning at full capacity which means it could hold 4 million passengers.

To avoid the congestion that NAIA is facing, the construction of Terminal 2 commenced in 2017 and is expected to open its doors in 2020 to accommodate 8 million travelers. At full, both these terminals could hold a total of 12 million passengers.

As of May 2019, Terminal 2 is already 65% completed and will be up and running before the end of President Rodrigo Duterte’s term. The CIAC chief also disclosed that they are already working on getting the fund for a second runway. Construction of this independent runway will then effectively double runway capacity.

Melo also discussed issues on vehicle parking and transportation system admitting that while these issues are still quite a challenge, he sees to it to eventually build a multi-leveled parking area in the future targeted to provide ease and convenience to its passengers.

Through the support of the Department of Transportation (DOTr) and Secretary Arthur Tugade, the construction of the Tutuban-Malolos railway can pave the way for a direct connection to the airport terminals just like Singapore and Hong Kong.

With help and support from different agencies working hand-in-hand and the investments poured into the CRK venture, the government sees to constantly improve the facilities and amenities at the Clark International Airport as it is envisioned to become Asia’s next premier gateway.