The Department of Transportation said Wednesday the new Clark International Airport and seven other provincial airports are set to be inaugurated in the next four months.
“LIPAD [Luzon International Premiere Airport Development Corp.] committed that the new Passenger Terminal Building of the Clark Airpot will be inaugurated next month,” Transportation Secretary Art Tugade said.
The LIPAD consortium, which consists of Filinvest Development Corp., JG Summit Holdings Inc., Philippine Airport Ground Support Solutions Inc. and Changi Airports Philippines Pte. Ltd., is the operator of CIA.
Once operational, it will boost Clark’s operational capacity, tripling the airport’s passenger volume from 4.2 million to 12.2 million annually.
The expansion will also elevate Clark’s stature as “Asia’s next premier gateway” and help decongest the passenger traffic at Ninoy Aquino International Airport in Parañaque City.
Besides Clark Airport, Tugade said several airport projects are scheduled to be inaugurated in the next four months.
These are the Catarman Airport, Butuan Aiport, Busuanga Airport, Zamboanga Airport, Siquijor Airport and General Santos Airport.
Tugade said the the Bicol International Airport would be completed before the end of the year. The BIA, known as the “Most Scenic Gateway” of the country, is now at 82.22 percent overall progress rate after 13 years of delay.
Once operational, it is expected to serve two million passengers every year. Package 2A of the BIA, which covers the construction of landside facilities and other buildings, is 94.40 percent complete and is scheduled to be completed this month.
Meanwhile, Package 2B covering the construction of the passenger terminal building and runway extension as well as the construction of the taxiway, drainage, and other site development works is 68.14 percent complete and is slated to be completed by June this year.
In addition, ongoing works for the embankment and construction of access road and slope protection is now at 52.50 percent and is being eyed for completion in October.