AirAsia chooses Clark as Philippine Center

[Jung]

This can mean either really good things for Clark or perhaps some bad with an influx of too many passengers. Been a lot of talk of Clark becoming more of a hub drawing traffic out of Manila, looks like this might be the first step.

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CLARK FREEPORT --- Budget carrier AirAsia Incorporated, the new Philippine-based affiliate of AirAsia Group, has chosen Clark as its center of activities in the country.

The airline, which was formed last December, will base its operations at the Diosdado Macapagal International Airport (DMIA).

AirAsia officials said they are planning to start operating international flights from the airport in the fourth quarter of this year.

"Our choice of Clark underlines the airline's commitment to developing transportation and tourism hubs outside Manila. This is part of our plan to contribute to the development of the country as a whole. AirAsia Inc. is excited to start contributing to the economy of Clark and the rest of the country by boosting tourism and offering job opportunities to Filipinos," said Marianne B. Hontiveros, chief executive of AirAsia Inc.

Clark is situated 80 kilometers north of Manila and is accessible to 23 million people from the National Capital Region and Central and Northern Luzon. It is also where the airline's sister company, Malaysia-based AirAsia Berhad, has been flying to and from Kuala Lumpur and Kota Kinabalu since 2005.

"We plan to make Clark the hub for flights to popular destinations including Singapore, Hong Kong, Taiwan, China, Thailand, Korea and Japan. Travel will become much easier and more affordable for tourists and overseas Filipino workers," Hontiveros added.

Hontiveros, Antonio O Cojuangco Jr., and Michael L Romero own 60 percent of AirAsia Inc. in equal partnership. The remaining 40 percent is owned by AirAsia Berhad.

Clark is the 13th regional hub of the AirAsia Group after Kuala Lumpur, Kota Kinabalu, Kuching and Penang in Malaysia; Bangkok, Phuket and Chiang Mai in Thailand; and Jakarta, Bandung, Surabaya, Medan and Bali in Indonesia.

The airline currently operates approximately 90 Airbus A320 aircraft, while its long-haul arm, AirAsia X, has a fleet of 11 Airbus A330 and A340 aircraft.

SEAIR recently launched international services in partnership with Tiger Airways.

With a population of more than 94 million -- almost as many as Malaysia and Thailand combined, the Philippines is a potentially aviation market.

Published in the Sun.Star Pampanga newspaper on March 27, 2011.