The Emirates Airlines, one of the best airlines in the world, has launched its daily Dubai-Clark-Dubai flights at Clark International Airport yesterday.
Clark International Airport Corporation President and CEO Victor Jose I. Luciano said that Emirates aircraft Boeing 777-ER arrived at 4 p.m. with 428 passengers in their inaugural flight.
Luciano said this is good news for passengers in North Luzon who are travelling to and from the Middle East, especially Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs).
“Clark will now be connected to the Middle East, including Europe,” he added.
Emirates country manager Gigie Baroa said, “This daily non-stop service from Dubai to Clark will benefit thousands of Overseas Filipino Workers, especially those based in Northern Luzon.”
“The Clark route will serve as an exit point for the millions of Filipinos working in the Middle East, which has the most number of temporary overseas Filipinos at 2.7 million, with 1.5 million in Saudi Arabia and 680,000 in the United Arab Emirates,” Baroa said.
Emirates Airlines was recently awarded as the “World’s Best Airline” by Skytrax at the 2013 Airline Awards, and was cited for its in-flight perks including WiFi connectivity and Digital Widescreen.
Emirates flies to 120 destinations worldwide. It first flew in the Philippines in 1990 via the Ninoy Aquino International Airport.
The Airline Operators Council (AOC) which represents foreign and local airlines had expressed full support for a “Dual Airport” development between NAIA and Clark Airport. The move is seen to decongest NAIA which has already reached its capacity.
The AOC also said “we would like to take this opportunity to express optimism in the light of the regular flights to and from Clark initiated by two airline members, Emirates and Qatar.”
AOC Chairman Florante Isidro also expressed confidence that Clark Airport will play a major role in the aviation industry saying that “there is room for growth (Clark) and everything is here.”
Florante said that “he was impressed by the developments at the Clark Airport particularly the on-going construction of the P360 million Phase 2 expansion of the Passenger Terminal.”
The expansion of the terminal is expected to accommodate 5 million passengers annually.
In 2012, Clark Airport recorded 1.3 million passengers.