Building Asia’s next aerotropolis

OOne of the most notable projects under the Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA) stewardship is the Clark Civil Aviation Complex (CCAC), which sits at the heart of Pampanga province.

The project sprawls across an area of approximately 2,300 hectares wide, with a runway that’s 3,200 meters long. Built within its boundaries are the associated taxiways, aircraft parking apron, passenger terminal building and other facilities.

Its aim is to build an aerotropolis, an urban form where a metropolis is built around an airport. It also seeks to create diverse business opportunities for both local and international investors, as well as to generate more jobs for the residents of Central Luzon.

In just a few years since the CCAC launched its expansion plans, the development has already piqued the interest of big international companies in the aircraft industry. According to the Clark International Airport Corporation (CIAC), one of BCDA’s subsidiaries, the Philippines is now considered a key player in the aerospace industry. Currently, three of the world’s biggest aircraft maintenance repair and overhaul (MRO) providers are in Clark, namely, the Singapore Engineering, Lufthansa Technik, and Hong Kong’s Metrojet Engineering.

Completed on time

Hailed as “Asia’s Next Premier Gateway,” the Clark International Airport has a New Passenger Terminal Building (CRK-NPTB), completed ahead of time, in September 2020. The CRK-NPTB is an infrastructure flagship project under the “Build Build Build” program of President Rodrigo Duterte’s administration. The new terminal is slated to commence operations by June 2021.

According to the CIAC, once it opens, CRK’s current operational capacity is expected to get a boost, with the airport’s passenger volume tripled, from the current 4.2 million to 12.2 million passengers annually.

The development of CRK-NTPB is a joint project of the BCDA and the Department of Transportation (DOTr). It is intended to escalate economic growth across Central Luzon, generate more jobs, and boost the country’s tourism industry.

Currently, the Luzon International Premier Airport Development Corporation (LIPAD) is in-charge of the operations and maintenance of the airport.

Locator highlight

In line with its 36th year of operations in the Philippines, on October 6, 2020, FedEx Express, a subsidiary of FedEx Corporation unveiled its USD30 million gateway facility inside the Clark Aviation Airport Complex.

The facility is expected to launch in April 2021. It is equipped with state-ofthe-art technologies that could hasten the company’s sorting capabilities to 9,000 documents and parcels per hour. The facility will also have designated areas where large heavyweight freight could be processed. Once the store opens, this investment is expected to bring the total number of team members to more than 800, in Clark alone.

John Peterson, director of FedEx Express Philippines says, “Moving our Philippine gateway to Clark will enhance our ability to serve customers across the Philippines. Given the expansion of the Clark International Airport and a 24/7 customs clearance operation, customers from Northern Luzon and Cebu will enjoy an extended cut-off time, while deliveries in Northern Luzon will arrive earlier by two hours, on average. FedEx will maintain a facility in Manila to continue serving all customer needs.” “The government’s ongoing infrastructure projects will decrease travel time between Northern Luzon, Metro Manila, and Southern Luzon. This move supports the government’s efforts to decongest Metro Manila.”

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has massively caused delays in infrastructure projects in the whole country.But Clark came through in the clutch. Its goal of becoming the country’s next sustainable metropolis remains on track.