Clark Intl Airport says  passenger volume up 54% in 1^st six mos.

Foreign and local travelers using the Clark International Airport are growing in numbers, airport operator Clark International Airport Corp. said Wednesday.   The volume of passengers using the international gateway in Pampanga jumped 54 percent in the first half of the year, it said.   The number of international and domestic passengers using the airport totaled 547,556 in January to June this year from 354,585 a year earlier, said Clark International president and CEO Victor Jose Luciano.   “This manifests the continued support of our fellow Filipinos as well as foreigners, travelers, tourists, and overseas Filipino workers using the Clark International Airport,” Luciano noted.   According to Clark International Corporate Planning Department, the number of flights by international and domestic airlines using Clark Airport rose by 38 percent to 4,749 in the year to June 15 from 3,435 a year earlier.   Clark Airport serves around 300 flights a week, it said.   By Dec. 31, 2012 or nine year since it started operations in November 2003, Clark Airport could hit its 5 millionth passenger target, Luciano said.   Airphil Express, the budget airline of Philippine Airlines, started its domestic flights from Clark Airport to Davao, Puerto Princesa, Cebu, and Kalibo last March 29. It also started international flights to Singapore and Hong Kong.   Other airlines that started using Clark airport are Air Asia Philippines, a unit of Malaysian-owned Air Asia Berhad. Air Asia started domestic flights to Davao, Puerto Princesa, and Kalibo last April and raised to two its daily international flights to Kuala Lumpur. It also uses Clark Airport for flights to Kota Kinabalu in Malaysia, and is expected to fly to Macau and Hong Kong later this month.   Gokongwei-owned Cebu Pacific Air operates international flights to Hong Kong, Singapore, Bangkok, and Macau, and domestic flights to Cebu. Later this year, Cebu Pacific will inaugurate flights to Incheon, South Korea from Clark Airport.   Cathay Pacific-subsidiary Dragon Air started its daily flights to Hong Kong from Clark Airport also this year. A full service carrier operating a fleet of 35 passenger airplanes, Dragon Air serves 38 regional destinations that include 19 cities in China.   South East Asian Airlines or SEAIR in partnership with Singapore’s Tiger Airways also flies from Clark Airport to Kota Kinabalu, Hong Kong, Bangkok, and Singapore. — VS, GMA News