Emirates Airline sees more Clark-Dubai flights with Clark Airport expansion

Dubai-based Emirates Airline is considering increasing its flight frequencies in its new hub in Clark, Pampanga as the Clark International Airport is being developed as a second major gateway to Metro Manila, Central and Northern Luzon.

"We are sure that we will do good in Clark...after many studies in the market," Mohammed H. Mattar, Emirates divisional senior vice president of airport services, said in a media briefing for Emirates Airline at Clark.

With the nearing completion of Clark International Aiport's expansion, Mattar said more competition will eventually come, giving players "a chance to look at our quality, at our products."

On Wednesday, Clark International Airport Corp. (CIAC) said the passenger terminal's P360-million expansion will be completed by December 2013, six months ahead of schedule.

The government is also looking at building a new P7.2-billion terminal for low-cost carriers.

"So we look at opportunities, future passengers needs, so we can do that [expand]. We are not worried and we'll do good here like in Manila," Mattar said.

Last month, the Airline Operators Council of air carriers at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport pushed anew the implementation of a “dual airport” system involving the NAIA and the Diosdado Macapagal International Airport in Clark, Pampanga, as NAIA has reached its maximum capacity with the increasing number of passengers annually.

For now, Emirates targets to fill up its daily flights from Clark to Dubai and vice versa.

"We know that for a start-up station, we definitely will have to do a lot of market development not just in Pampanga, but also in farther northern provinces of Ilocos, Baguio, Nueva Ecija, Nueva Vizcaya," Gigie Baroa, Emirates Philippine country manager, told reporters after the media briefing.

"If we see the need to increase capacity, then we'll increase," she said.

Baroa also noted that they hope to replicate Emirates' performance in its Manila hub.

"During peak seasons summer and Christmas, we have 100-percent load factor. During normal days, we have above 75-percent seat load factors in Manila. We hope we can replicate that in Clark," she said.

Apart from opening up tourist destionations in northern and Central Luzon, Emirates' new hub will allow it to tap corporate, leisure, business and marine traffic to and from Clark.

"That's a very big catchment area for us to tap. You have to take note of all the returning kababayans that we have and all of the corporate traffic travelling between Clark and the businesses fron northern Luzon to other continents like Europe and the Middle East," Baroa said.

Nearly 680,000 Filipinos live in the United Arab Emirates alone. A further 342,000 reside in Qatar, 186,000 in Kuwait and over 1.5 million live in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, according to the Commission on Filipinos Overseas.

From January to June 2013, Emirates flew 438,843 passengers (217,592 inbound passengers and 221,251 outbound), according to data from the Civil Aeronautics Board.

The airline has been offering flights to Manila since 1990. Currently it has three daily non-stop flights to Manila.

Emirates, which currently flies to 134 destinations in 77 countries, is targeting to have 250 aircraft in its fleet by 2020. — BM, GMA News