More than 1 million passengers travelled via Clark International Airport (CRK) in the first quarter of 2019, the highest quarterly passenger traffic that the North Luzon hub has recorded.
“Six years ago, it was a record number if you hit the one million passenger mark in a year. CRK had 1.3 million and 1.2 million passengers in 2012 and 2013, respectively. Now, we broke that mark in just three months, so far the highest quarterly figure in the airport’s 24-year history,” Clark International Airport Authority (CIAC) president Jaime Melo said in a statement.
Melo said the tallied total number of passengers from January 1 to March 31 was 1.02 million, covering both international and domestic passengers.
In terms of months, CRK serviced a total of 364,171 passengers in January 2019, its highest monthly record.
“More travelers choose Clark because of congestion in Metro Manila. There are also improvements of terminal facilities here and a more focused and precise operational direction from CIAC management,” Melo stated.
Revenues have also increased commensurately, a huge improvement from three to five years ago as more airlines are signifying their wish to mount flights at the airport, the CIAC executive added.
Melo said CRK’s current annual capacity is 4.2 million passengers. With a monthly average of 340,000 travellers, the airport will be able to breach the four million passenger mark by year’s end, he added.
A new passenger terminal building that is expected to be operational by 2020 will be able to accommodate an additional eight million passengers per annum.
CRK’s international destinations include Doha and Dubai in the Middle East, South Korea, Osaka, Hong Kong, Macau, Taipei, Singapore and soon Narita, while negotiations are ongoing for airlines to mount Bangkok and Kuala Lumpur flights, among others.
The airport is also connected to major domestic destinations including Cebu, Boracay, Bacolod, Davao and Palawan.
The average daily passenger volume at CRK is 11,500, served by a total of 734 weekly flights, with 246 international and 488 domestic flights.
