Cathay Pacific eyes return to Clark
MANILA, Philippines — Cathay Pacific Airways is looking into mounting flights again from Clark International Airport as the Hong Kong flag carrier seeks to take advantage of the growing air travel demand for both leisure and business.
Vishnu Rajendran, the airline’s country manager for the Philippines, told the Inquirer they were hoping to resume operations and service flights from Clark like they did before the pandemic.
Cathay Dragon, the airline’s sister company, used to fly passengers from the Pampanga gateway but it ceased operations at the height of the contagion in 2020.
The move was in line with Cathay Pacific group’s restructuring to mitigate losses as the entire aviation sector reeled from the global health crisis that grounded all flights back then.
‘When the time is right’
“It is continually being reviewed in terms of the potential of the market and the commercial viability of our operations here,” he said. “When the time is right, we do hope to be back,” he added. “If Clark shows promise, then we will resume.”
He said that, for now, the priority was restoring their Cebu-Hong Kong route to twice daily flights from five times a week.
Meanwhile, operations from Manila have returned to the pre-pandemic level of seven daily flights.
Rajendran is optimistic about this year’s prospects, thanks to strong tourism activities and overseas Filipino workers driving demand.
The Cathay Pacific group currently has 225 jets in its fleet. They recently placed an order for 32 Airbus neo aircraft, which are set for delivery by 2029.
Doubling passenger volume at Clark Airport
The airline’s possible return to Clark will support the airport’s goal of doubling passenger volume to four million this year.
Arrey Perez, Clark International Airport Corp. president and CEO, earlier said they were set to introduce new local and international routes to widen their network.
These include connections to Taipei, Bangkok, Hong Kong, Narita, Macau, and Cheongju as well as links to Coron, Bacolod, Iloilo, Davao, General Santos, Cagayan de Oro and Puerto Princesa.
Currently, the Clark airport accommodates 23 airlines and services 11 international and 10 domestic destinations. Its passenger terminal building has an annual capacity of 8 million.