Emirates sets return to Clark in March

MANILA, Philippines – Emirates will relaunch daily flights from the Clark International Airport in Pampanga beginning March or almost two years after it stopped using the former US military airbase due to the government’s controversial excise tax ruling.

Emigdio Tanjuatco III, president and chief executive officer of the Clark International Airport (CIAC), announced yesterday Emirates would resume daily flights at the international gateway via the Dubai – Cebu – Clark route using a Boeing 777-300ER starting March 30.

“After a series of negotiations with Emirates, we are glad that they have now finally agreed to resume their flights at Clark this year. This is a fruit of CIAC’s efforts in continuing to attract more airlines to choose Clark,” he said.

Tanjuatco said the return of daily flights in Clark was discussed with Emirates during the World Routes Convention in South Africa last September.

“We discussed Clark Airport’s capabilities in becoming the most suitable airport for their flights. While they also expressed some important concerns about their flight operations at the airport, CIAC worked hard to appropriately address the issues and concerns that they raised,” he added.

Tanjuatco said the return of Emirates would be a game changer in the local aviation industry and would boost the government’s efforts to promote tourism and improve the local economy.

“I need not stress the relevance, or the kind of quality that Emirates will contribute to the Clark airport. Presently we are engaging the national government to show them that Clark is willing and able to be that airport to help decongest the Ninoy Aquino International Airport in Manila,” he said.

Emirates manager for procurement and logistics Guy Hickling and Emirates senior regional manager for airport services Asia Jie Zhu visited the international gateway in Pampanga early this week.

“I am impressed with the improvements done at the (passenger) terminal. We are very happy that we’re finally back,” Jie said.

Emirates announced in March 2014 it would stop mounting direct flights between Clark and Dubai due to the controversial excise tax imposed by the Bureau of International Revenues on jet fuel used for international flights.

The Clark - Dubai route that was launched in October 2013 was eventually put to a halt in May 2014.

For his part, GMR Megawide Cebu Airport Corp. president Louie Ferrer said the new routes launched in the country’s second busiest airport form the basis of the company’s strategic vision of connecting Cebu to key global destinations.

“Filipinos living in Visayas and Mindanao who go to the Middle East and Europe will benefit from this new route. Now they can fly directly from Cebu and save the hard-earned money they would usually spend on board, lodging and transportation if departing from Manila,” Ferrer said.

Ferrer noted about 35 percent to 40 percent of the overseas Filipino workers reside in the central and southern Philippines but most still have to make their way to Manila to catch flights going to their countries of work.

“If we can give our kababayans the opportunity to spend even one extra day with their loved ones by allowing them to fly out directly from Cebu, then we’ve done our job,” he said.  

The Mactan Cebu international airport is the second busiest airport in the Philippines with the capacity to handle 4.5 million passengers a year and this figure is seen to increase to 12.5 million when the new terminal is completed by June 2018.