Clark hosts direct flights to Palau

MANILA, Philippines — Nauru’s flag carrier is now operating weekly flights between Palau and Clark, in a move that expands the airline’s reach in Southeast Asia and scales up the airport’s international connectivity.

Nauru Airlines, the flag carrier of Nauru in Oceania, launched last week the maiden flight of its weekly services, which operate every Friday, between Palau and Clark.

The new flight in Clark bridges the airport to Oceania. Nauru Airlines plans to use Clark as its entry point to expand in Asia.

The flight is served by a Boeing 737-700, one of Nauru Airlines’ four aircraft for passenger trips. Flight ON 941 departs Palau at 3:20 p.m. and arrives in Clark at 4.50 p.m., while flight ON 942 flies out of Clark at 6:20 p.m. and lands in Palau at 8 p.m.

Nauru Airlines said the flight forms part of efforts to improve connectivity among Australia, the Pacific Islands and Asia. Through its Australia-North Pacific Connector strategy, Nauru Airlines is able to link Brisbane, Nauru, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Pohnpei, Koror and Clark.

Further, the carrier sees the flight as an opportunity to enhance passenger and cargo movement in the Asia-Oceania corridor.

Nauru Airlines also wants to capture the market for overseas Filipino workers flying to Palau for employment, most of whom are hired in the construction, health and hospitality industries.

To date, Palau is host to nearly 3,000 Filipinos who are living and working there, making up close to 17 percent of its population.

In entering the Philippines-Palau corridor, Nauru Airlines is competing in a market comfortably dominated by American carrier United Airlines. The airline offers direct flights between Manila and Palau weekly.

For the Clark International Airport, the addition of Palau flights improves chances of attracting more passengers to fly from the gateway. As of June, the airport has handled a passenger volume of about 1.7 million, of which 52 percent are local passengers and 48 percent are foreign visitors.

For the year, Clark is expected to record a passenger traffic of three million, and projections are it would hit 3.4 million by 2026 and four million by 2027.

Clark is also on track to adding two new destinations in Southeast Asia, although details are still being ironed out with the carriers.