The Clark International Airport Corporation (CIAC) supports Transportation Secretary Atty. Arthur Tugade and his plan to further develop both Clark International Airport (CRK) and Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA).
“We (CIAC) will support the plans and programs of incoming Secretary Art Tugade. We are happy that his vision is in line with the vision of CIAC that CRK become the gateway for Central and Northern Luzon,” CIAC president and chief executive officer Atty. Emigdio Tanjuatco III said in a statement.
CIAC has been promoting further use of the long under-used Northern and Central Luzon hub. CRK is only 17.6% utilized, even as all other major airports in the country are either nearly or more than 100% utilized, according to Dr. Enrico Basilio, chief of party of the United States Agency for International Development Advancing Philippine Competitiveness, in a presentation during the soft launch of the draft National Logistics Master Plan.
“We support his plan to develop simultaneously CRK and NAIA. We are optimistic that the incoming administration will continue to support the development and growth of CRK,” Tanjuatco added.
Tugade earlier disclosed his plan to develop both CRK and NAIA, saying that both airports can co-exist.
He said the improvement of CRK must be pushed because it has the space for expansion, while NAIA can be developed some more since although congested, it can still be useful within the next seven years.
“Having worked closely with incoming Sec. Tugade, I am confident that his competent and no non-sense leadership will definitely be to the advantage of CRK,” said the airport chief, referring to their working closely together during Tugade’s term as president and CEO of the Clark Development Corporation (CDC).
Tugade was appointed to CDC in 2012 but resigned early this year to support President Rodrigo Duterte’s electoral campaign.
