CHARTERED FLIGHTS TO USHER
IN CHINESE TOURISTS TO CLARK
 
The entry of a series of chartered flights by China Southern Airlines at the sprawling Diosdado Macapagal International Airport (DMIA) from mainland China are expected to draw thousands of tourists into the Clark Freeport Zone.
Starting January 18, China Southern Airlines will commence its twice-a-week chartered flights to DMIA which will further boost the development of the civil aviation complex.
          The chartered flights will fly into DMIA for six months.
          Clark International Airport Corporation President and CEO Victor Jose I. Luciano said the entry of China Southern Airlines is a welcome development for DMIA. “This initiates the China flights to Clark and we see this as a big development because of the potential of having Chinese tourists and businessmen coming to our region to make investments.”
“We are happy about the development that Fontana has taken this initiative, we will give them the full support,” Luciano added.
Luciano has vowed to support the efforts of China Southern Airlines to mount regular flights to Clark.
“Definitely we should now prepare Clark for tourism infrastructure so that the momentum will be kept and at the same time we are building and expanding the airport in preparation for this,” Luciano stressed.
          China Southern Airlines will start their twice a week Guangzhou-Clark chartered flights on January 18 and will arrive during Fridays and Sundays. The airline will be utilizing Boeing 737 aircraft with a capacity of 166 seats.
CIAC is preparing a grand welcome for the inaugural flight which is expected to bring in 166 passengers. Cultural presentations will greet passengers upon their arrival at 7pm.
Luciano and other officials of Fontana are expected to welcome the arrival of the Chinese passengers in simple ceremonies.
Managing Director Norman Ng, of the Jimei Group in the Philippines said that the Boeing 737 with a capacity of 136 passengers will leave Guangzhou at about 5pm every Friday and 2pm on Sundays. Estimated time of departure from Clark is 7pm on Fridays and 4pm on Sundays.
DMIA currently averages 54 flights per week in both international and domestic flights being conducted by various air carriers operating at the 2,500-hectare airport.
In 2007, DMIA posted 533,619 arrivals in both international and domestic flights surpassing the 488,756 2006 figures by 44,863 increase in passenger arrivals.
Among the airlines operating at DMIA include Asiana Airlines of South Korea, Tiger Airways of Singapore. The domestic flights are being operated by South East Asian Airlines (Seair), Cebu Pacific and Asian Spirit.
From January up to May 2007, Shanghai Airlines has also conducted chartered flights to DMIA  bringing in hundreds of Chinese tourists from the mainland while another chartered flight was also conducted by Deer Air last December.