PHILIPPINES’ AirAsia has added Singapore to its list of destinations out of Clark International Airport, where passenger terminal fees have just been reduced from PHP600 (US$14.50) to PHP450 for departing passengers on international flights.
Operating on Airbus A320 aircraft, AirAsia’s daily service to Singapore begins December 15, departing Clark at 06.10 and landing at Changi International Airport at 09.40. The return flight leaves Singapore at 10.10 and touches down at Clark at 13.40.
The new airlink is expected to boost Philippine arrival numbers to Singapore, which as of May 2012 totalled 299,366, a drop of 0.2 per cent year-on-year.
Meanwhile, international passengers departing from Clark are now required to fork out PHP450 per person, including a PHP350 terminal fee and PHP100 security fee.
Danny Cerdeña, general manager, Blue Voyage Travel Services, which is located in Pampanga (the same area as Clark Airport), said he had been receiving fewer requests for flights out of Ninoy Aquino International Airport, except for longhaul journeys.
According to Cerdeña, travellers to destinations such as Hong Kong, Bangkok, Singapore and Kota Kinabalu prefer the convenience that Clark Airport offers. “Flights (from Clark) don’t get delayed, and if they do, it’s very, very rare,” he said.
His clients to the US also prefer to fly Asiana Airlines out of Clark despite the long layover, because the airline offers complimentary short-term accommodation for early morning arrivals and free city tours, he added.
