Metrojet to build $25-million aviation facility in Clark

CLARK, Pampanga , Philippines  —  Hong Kong-based Metrojet Ltd. is spending $25 million to build its largest business aviation parking and maintenance facility in Clark, which will become the firm’s regional hub.

The company broke ground yesterday for the 26,000 square meter facility, its single largest investment in the region to date.

“We’re looking at (spending) around $25 million just for the facility and then obviously there’s the ancillary growth that will happen in the continued operations, capital investment that will have to continue year in and year out,” Metrojet chief executive officer Gary Dolski told reporters.

Dolski said the facility would be leased for 50 years.

“This will be our largest facility where we will do our base maintenance,”he added.

The Clark facility has over 7,100 sqm of hangar floor space, which can typically accommodate up to 10 long range business jet and Boeing business jet or Airbus corporate jet.

Other features of the facility include over 2,500 sqm of customer accommodations and storage, fixed base operator (FBO) capability engineering support workshops and materials warehousing.

It also has a dedicated taxi-way and parking ramp of over 11,000 sqm that will provide secure and private aircraft parking, maintenance and FBO services.

“Clark is a very good area for us. The airport is a good airport. We have the government support. Geographically, its very well located and we can draw in work from the region from China and from Hong Kong,” Dolski said.

Metrojet first entered the Philippines eight years ago with its 1,200 sqm hangar in Clark.

It currently has a hangar facility in Hong Kong and offices in Singapore.

“With this Clark facility,we at Metrojet are strengthening our footprint in Southeast Asia,” Metrojet chief operating office Bruce Watson said.

“The growing strategic importance of Clark is with its freedom of operations and freeport zone enables us to provide clients with a high quality and very competitive hangar parking and maintenance facility in the region, especially with locations such as Hong Kong and Singapore becoming increasing expensive and having capacity constraints,” he added.

The company noted that the hangar for the upcoming Clark facility will be constructed by Aircraft Support Industries(ASI) under a design-build contract managed by MERx Construction.

Bases and Conversion Development Authority (BCDA) president and chief executive officer Vince Dizon said the project, is a good fit for Clark

“Clark is currently seeing rapid growth not only as a strong business district but also as an ideal aviation and logistics hub. The ongoing expansion of the Clark International Airport positions Clark as a premier international gateway in the Philippines,” Dizon said.

“I am optimistic that this will bode well for Metrojet’s new investment in Clark and for future investors from the aviation industry,” he added.

The Clark facility is expected to be completed in the second quarter of 2020.