Clark International Airport Pangyatung Sulapawan ning Clark Paliparang Pandaigdig ng Clark | |||||||||||
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.jpg) The airport terminal in April 2024 | |||||||||||
| Summary | |||||||||||
| Airport type | Public / military | ||||||||||
| Owner | Clark International Airport Corporation | ||||||||||
| Operator | Luzon International Premier Airport Development (LIPAD) Corporation[1][2] | ||||||||||
| Serves | Metro Clark | ||||||||||
| Location | Clark,Angeles City andMabalacat,Pampanga,Philippines | ||||||||||
| Opened | June 16, 1996; 29 years ago (1996-06-16)[3][4] | ||||||||||
| Hub for | |||||||||||
| Operating base for | |||||||||||
| Time zone | PHT (UTC+08:00) | ||||||||||
| Elevation AMSL | 148 m / 484 ft | ||||||||||
| Coordinates | 15°11′09″N120°33′35″E / 15.18583°N 120.55972°E /15.18583; 120.55972 | ||||||||||
| Website | clarkinternationalairport | ||||||||||
| Maps | |||||||||||
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.svg)  CRK/RPLC .svg) CRK/RPLC | |||||||||||
| Runways | |||||||||||
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| Statistics (2024) | |||||||||||
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| Source: CIAC,[5] Portcalls[6] | |||||||||||
Clark International Airport (IATA:CRK,ICAO:RPLC), known asDiosdado Macapagal International Airport from 2003 to 2014, is aninternational airport covering portions of the cities ofAngeles andMabalacat within theClark Freeport and Special Economic Zone in the province ofPampanga, Philippines. It is located 80 kilometers (50 mi)[7] northwest ofManila. It is accessible by way of theSubic–Clark–Tarlac Expressway (SCTEX).
The airport servesMetro Clark, as well as the entireCentral Luzon,Northern Luzon, and, to an extent,Manila metropolitan area andcapital city with international and domestic flights. The name is derived from the former AmericanClark Air Base, which was the largest overseas base of theUnited States Air Force until it was closed and handed over to theGovernment of the Philippines in 1991.
The airport is managed and operated by Luzon International Premier Airport Development (LIPAD) Corp., a consortium ofJG Summit Holdings,Filinvest Development Corporation, Philippine Airport Ground Support Solutions (PAGSS) Inc., andChangi Airports Philippines Pte. Ltd.[1][2] The southern part of the facility is utilized by thePhilippine Air Force asClark Air Base.[8]
The airport was nominated as a finalist for the Airport category of the 2021Prix Versailles awards[9] but lost toLaGuardia Airport Terminal B as the best new airport in 2021.[10] However, it was recognized as a laureate of Prix Versailles' 2023 list of the World's Most Beautiful Airports.[11]
On March 1, 2024, CRK won the Routes Asia Marketing Award under the 5 million Passenger airport category after having handled nearly 2 million passengers in 2023, or a 160% increase.[12]
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TheUnited States Cavalry established Fort Stotsenberg in 1902 and later converted a portion of it into an airfield, which was, in turn, renamed Clark Air Field in 1919—in honor of aviator MajorHarold Melville Clark. Clark Air Field was used as a strategic overseas base by both theUnited States andJapan duringWorld War II.[13]
In 1947, the RP-US Military Bases Agreement was signed, integrating Clark Air Field and Fort Stotsenberg into Clark Air Base but, after theeruption of Mount Pinatubo in June 1991 and the non-renewal of the military bases agreement, Clark Air Base was reverted to thePhilippine government.[14]
The Bases Conversion Development Act of 1992 accelerated the conversion of Clark Air Base into a Special Economic Zone, and, in 2007, theCongress of the Philippines enacted Republic Act No. 9400, which renamed the base to Clark Freeport Philippines.[15] It is now segregated in two separate entities: Clark Freeport Zone, administered by the Clark Development Corporation, and the Clark Civil Aviation Complex, administered by the Clark International Airport Corporation (CIAC).
In 1993, the former Clark Air Base was reopened as the Clark Special Economic Zone (CSEZ) after the area was cleared oflahar debris from theMount Pinatubo eruption and atyphoon that followed.[16] On April 28, 1994, an executive order was signed by former PresidentFidel Ramos that designated Clark as the Clark Special Economic Zone as the future site of a premier international airport, aiming to attract economic and tourism activities toCentral Luzon and relieve congestion inMetro Manila.[17]
In 1997, the development of Clark International Airport (CIA) began in earnest with the signing of a contract involving a developer linked to the proposed new passenger terminal atNinoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) inPasay City. This move was part of the Philippine government's broader strategy to enhance the country's airport infrastructure and alleviate congestion at NAIA. By collaborating with experienced international airport operators and developers, such as Aeroports de Paris (nowGroupe ADP), the BCDA aimed to turn Clark into a major international gateway. This development was intended to support regional economic growth and provide a viable alternative to NAIA for international and domestic flights.[18] In that same year, the master plan was drafted. The plan would set up a state-of-the-art aviation complex with a capacity of 10 million passengers a day, while the proposal was to have equipment installed, but building the passenger terminal and the control tower has not yet been completed.[19]
The airport opened for commercial operations on June 16, 1996.[3]
On April 4, 2003, PresidentGloria Macapagal Arroyo renamed the airport toDiosdado Macapagal International Airport (DMIA), in memory of her father, former PresidentDiosdado Macapagal, and ordered the Clark International Airport Corporation (CIAC) in February 2007 to fund the US$1.7 billion (₱76.5 billion) expansion of DMIA and the approval of a US$2 million (₱90 million) study plan financed by theKorean International Cooperation Agency. The first stage of Clark Airport's expansion program, a ₱130 million terminal expansion, was completed in January 2008 to accommodate more than 2 million passengers annually.[20]
The viability and practicability of CIA have been confirmed by studies by Pacific Consultants International in 2005, the Korea International Cooperation Agency in 2008, andAecom in 2010.[21]
Amid congestion in NAIA due to the policies of the previous administration of President Arroyo, newly-elected PresidentNoynoy Aquino launched the modernization program for the Clark airport. In 2011, Aquino issued EO 64, making the Clark International Airport Corporation (CIAC) an attached agency of the Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) to better align it with national aviation strategies.[22][23] The airport again used the Clark International Airport name in February 2012,[24] while the original passenger terminal continued to bear Macapagal's name until 2014. President Aquino, as chair of the NEDA board, approved the new ₱15-billion passenger terminal for Clark in 2015. Aquino launched the airport's key planning phases for expanding CRK's capacity to 8 million passengers. When the airport modernization program of Aquino was restarted again, his successor, President Duterte, attended its ribbon-cutting ceremony.[25][26]
On February 28, 2017, PresidentRodrigo Duterte issued Executive Order No. 14, reverting CIAC as a subsidiary of the BCDA, but with theDepartment of Transportation (DOTr) maintaining supervision and operational control of the airport.[27]
During an open bid by the BCDA to take over the operations and maintenance of the airport, the North Luzon Airport Consortium (NLAC), a consortium ofJG Summit Holdings,Filinvest Development Corporation, Philippine Airport Ground Support Solutions Inc. and Changi Airports Philippines Pte. Ltd, won.[28][29][1][2] The terminal that was funded by former President Aquino in 2015 was later finished in 2020.[30] Trial flights to and from the new terminal were conducted in December 2021,[31] and the terminal opened for commercial operations on May 2, 2022.[32] All flights moved to the new terminal on the day of its opening.[33] Following the opening of the new terminal, the old terminal was decommissioned.[34] The new Aquino-funded terminal was officially opened by PresidentBongbong Marcos during a grand opening event on September 28.[35]
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Clark International Airport is located within theClark Freeport Zone in the island ofLuzon, approximately 98 kilometers (61 mi) fromManila in the south and 163 kilometers (101 mi) fromBaguio. The airport lies in betweenMount Pinatubo to the west andMount Arayat to the east.
The airport site is inside the Clark Freeport Zone's Civil Aviation Complex which occupies 2,367 hectares (5,850 acres) and directly linked to theSubic–Clark–Tarlac Expressway (SCTEX) which is connected to theNorth Luzon Expressway (NLEX) providing a direct link to Metro Manila.
It has a local catchment area with an estimated population of 23 million covering theIlocos Region,Cagayan Valley,Central Luzon, theCordillera Administrative Region, and northernMetro Manila.
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The airport has a 82,600-square-meter (889,000 sq ft) four-level passenger terminal building which replaced the original terminal in 2022.[32] Designed byPopulous and Casas+Architects and constructed byMegawide Construction Corporation andGMR Infrastructure,[36][37] the terminal has a total floor area of 110,000 square meters (1,200,000 sq ft) and a design capacity of twelve million passengers per annum.[34]
The ground level holds the baggage claim and arrival halls, while the second floor holds the transfer facilities, immigration facilities for arriving international passengers, and 18jet bridges. Aside from the jet bridges, there are remote gates at the apron. The third level houses the check-in counters and pre-departure areas including gate lounges, while the fourth level houses food and beverage areas andcommercially important person lounges.[38]
The facade of the terminal sports a wave roof design inspired by the mountains ofMount Arayat,Mount Pinatubo, and theSierra Madremountain range.[38]
The original terminal was expanded for $3 million (PH₱130 million) to accommodate 1 million passengers annually. The expansion project was inaugurated by President Arroyo in April 2008 to serve the growing passenger volume due to the entry of foreign and local budget carriers at the airport.[39]
The first phase of the expansion of the terminal started in April 2010 at a cost of $12 million (PH₱550 million), saw a second story, arrival and departure lounges, and two aerobridges added to the terminal building. The expansion boosted the airport's capacity to 2.5 million annually.[40]
The passenger terminal was expanded again in 2013 at a cost of $9.6 million (PH₱417 million), increasing the capacity of the terminal from 2.5 million to 4.2 million passengers per annum. The expansion increased the size of the passenger terminal building from 11,439 square meters (123,130 sq ft) to 19,799 square meters (213,110 sq ft). It added 21 new check-in counters, increasing the total number of counters from 13 to 34. Five arrival counters and 12 departures counters were also constructed. The expanded terminal has eight entry points and three customs stations. The modernized terminal started operations in May 2013.[41]
Clark International Airport used to have two 3,200-meter (10,500 ft) parallel runways. Since the runways are closely spaced, the secondary runway (02L/20R) has been decommissioned and is no longer in use. The new terminal occupies the end that was formerly Runway 20R, while a new maintenance hangar is currently being constructed on the stopway of Runway 02L.[42]
In 2020, the Clark International Airport Corporation (CIAC) announced plans to construct the tallestair traffic control tower in the Philippines which will stand around 54 meters (177 ft) in height.[44] The tower was projected to be complete by December 2021.[45] However, the project is only 61 percent complete as of December 2023 due to design issues and pending approval from theCivil Aviation Authority of the Philippines and theClark Development Corporation.[46]
On March 12, 2024, Elmar Lutter,Lufthansa Technik Philippines President, announced thegroundbreaking project of an₱8.4-billion (US$150-million)hangar facility at Clark International Airport, the airport's second hangar. The planned hangar was unveiled during President Bongbong Marcos'visit to Germany.[47]
Data from Clark International Airport Corporation (CIAC).[85][86][87]
| Year | Passenger movements | Aircraft movements | Cargo movements (intonnes) | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Domestic | International | Total | % change | Domestic | International | Total | % change | Domestic | International | Total | % change | |||
| 2004 | 9,442 | 49,546 | 58,988 | N/a | 432 | 230 | 662 | N/a | No data provided | N/a | ||||
| 2005 | 7,816 | 224,497 | 232,313 |  293.83 | 455 | 1,188 | 1,643 | 148.19 | ||||||
| 2006 | 17,889 | 470,867 | 488,756 | 110.39 | 437 | 2,065 | 2,502 | 52.28 | 3,774 | 124,981 | 128,755 | |||
| 2007 | 43,650 | 489,969 | 533,619 | 9.18 | 621 | 1,975 | 2,596 | 3.51 | 3,533 | 125,124 | 128,657 |  0.08 | ||
| 2008 | 39,681 | 490,748 | 530,429 | 0.60 | 584 | 2,039 | 2,623 | 1.04 | 2,780 | 127,805 | 130,585 | 1.50 | ||
| 2009 | 30,732 | 559,792 | 590,524 | 11.33 | 572 | 2,613 | 3,185 | 21.43 | No data provided[a] | 132,078 | 1.14 | |||
| 2010 | 46,525 | 607,704 | 654,229 | 10.79 | 379 | 2,672 | 3,051 | 4.21 | No data provided | N/a | ||||
| 2011 | 42,118 | 725,023 | 767,141 | 17.26 | 609 | 6,971 | 7,580 | 148.44 | ||||||
| 2012 | 300,438 | 1,015,319 | 1,315,757 | 71.51 | 3,501 | 9,313 | 12,814 | 69.05 | ||||||
| 2013 | 215,173 | 985,419 | 1,200,592 | 8.75 | 1,916 | 8,420 | 10,336 | 19.34 | ||||||
| 2014 | 90,948 | 786,809 | 877,757 | 23.89 | 936 | 5,715 | 6,651 | 35.65 | 1,280 | 46,702 | 47,982 | |||
| 2015 | 41,824 | 826,704 | 868,528 | 1.05 | 348 | 5,709 | 6,057 | 8.93 | 2,217 | 32,796 | 35,013 | 37.04 | ||
| 2016 | 51,625 | 899,382 | 951,007 | 9.50 | 360 | 5,852 | 6,212 | 2.56 | 2,120 | 13,236 | 15,356 | 56.14 | ||
| 2017 | 431,343 | 1,083,188 | 1,514,531 | 59.26 | 5,399 | 7,221 | 12,620 | 103.16 | 2,789 | 13,656 | 16,445 | 7.09 | ||
| 2018 | 1,350,168 | 1,314,210 | 2,664,378 | 75.92 | 16,267 | 8,650 | 24,873 | 97.09 | 2,875 | 15,342 | 18,217 | 10.78 | ||
| 2019 | 1,780,000 | 2,200,000 | 4,000,211 | 50.14 | 23,856 | 11,882 | 35,738 | 43.68 | 11,055 | 15,267 | 26,322 | 44.49 | ||
| 2020 | 508,795 | 432,773 | 941,532 | 76.46 | 5,591 | 3,329 | 8,920 | 75.04 | No data provided[a] | 31,800[88] | 20.81 | |||
| 2021 | 9,405 | 131,997 | 192,542 | 79.55 | 234 | 971 | 2,386 | 73.25 | No data provided[a] | 36,975 | 16.27 | |||
| 2022 | 140,248 | 628,578 | 768,826 | 299.30 | 1,526 | 4,138 | 5,664 | 137.39 | No data provided[a] | 49,254 | 33.21 | |||
| 2023 | No data provided[a] | 1,999,542 | 160.08 | No data provided[a] | 14,327 | 152.95 | No data provided[a] | 43,437 | 11.81 | |||||
| 2024 | No data provided[a] | 2,404,888 | 16.86 | No data provided[a] | 19,222 | 34.17 | No data provided[a] | 58,496 | 34.67 | |||||
TheSubic–Clark–Tarlac Expressway (SCTEx) provides high-speed automobile access to the airport, withtwo exits: Clark North and Clark South interchange. Passengers with connecting flights atNinoy Aquino International Airport in Metro Manila can either pay a toll to useSkyway, fromNorth Luzon Expressway (NLEX), toNAIA Expressway connecting NAIA Terminals 1, 2 and 3 since December 29, 2020, or take NLEX which is linked via SCTEX, then passing throughEpifanio de los Santos Avenue fromBalintawak,Quezon City toRoxas Boulevard inPasay, Roxas Boulevard from EDSA to the northern terminus ofManila–Cavite Expressway (CAVITEX) inParañaque, and finally ontoNAIA Road.
Park and fly services are provided within the airport as well.[92]
For short-distance routes, air-conditionedjeepneys connect Clark to nearby Dau Bus Terminal inMabalacat andSM City Clark inAngeles City, the latter of which offersin-town check-in services to passengers.[93] From Dau, passengers can ride intercity buses leading to other cities and towns in Northern andCentral Luzon as well as Metro Manila. DirectPremium Point-to-Point Bus Services (P2Ps) for long-distance routes are provided by four bus companies leading to Ninoy Aquino International Airport,TriNoma, andRobinsons Galleria in Metro Manila,Subic andOlongapo inZambales,Dagupan inPangasinan, andVigan inIlocos Sur.[94][95]
The airport will also be directly served by theClark International Airport station of theNorth–South Commuter Railway, connecting the airport to theNew Clark City inCapas, Tarlac, as well asTutuban in Manila andCalamba inLaguna. The railway is scheduled to be completed by sometime in 2027.[96]
Though the air facility principally handled civilian air traffic (it was planned to replace Ninoy Aquino International Airport as Metro Manila's primary airport), the Philippine Air Force maintained a presence there, and part of it was still known as Clark Air Base.
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