Clark International Airport Could Lose Qatar Airways

Clark International Airport could lose its last remaining long-haul service after the Philippines and Qatar agreed to an expanded Air Service Agreement that will grant Qatar Airways up to fourteen flights per week between Manila and Doha. 

qatar airways manila
Copyright Photo: Angelo Agcamaran/PPSG
Last week, an amended Air Service Agreement was signed in Qatar, granting an additional six flights weekly between Manila and Doha. Previously, only eight flights weekly were permitted between the two cities. The new agreement has also granted unlimited traffic rights from Qatar to Clark, Cebu, and Davao. 

Qatar Airways has been operating direct flights from Doha to Manila and Clark due to an inability to acquire additional traffic rights to Manila. Flights are currently operated eight times weekly to Manila and seven times weekly to Clark. With the amended air services agreement in place, the Qatar flag carrier now has the opportunity to shift its flights to Manila, where it previously operated fourteen flights weekly.

Qatar Airways will not be the first long-haul flight to have retreated from Clark International Airport. Last year, Emirates revealed that it would also be cancelling its service to Clark. Although the Philippine government has long been promoting Clark as the Manila alternative airport, many of the airlines that have attempted to serve the airport have failed to gain traction. 

A year earlier, Air Asia Philippines announced that it would shift its Philippine hub from Clark International Airport to Ninoy Aquino International Airport in Manila. However, not all carriers have given up on Clark Airport. South Korean budget carrier Jin Air recently revealed that it would upgrade its direct flights from Clark to Seoul-Incheon to daily service. 

Although Qatar Airways will enjoy an increase in the number of flights it can operate to Manila, it will also face an increase in competition as Cebu Pacific prepares to launch direct flights to Doha on June 5. Philippine Airlines and Cebu Pacific have each been granted seven slots between Manila and Doha. However, Cebu Pacific is expected to launch the route with only two flights weekly.

It remains unclear if Qatar Airways will shift its entire flight operations back to Ninoy Aquino International Airport, or if it will increase service to Manila, while maintaining its Clark schedule. The Qatar carrier has yet to make any public announcements. 

Although some airlines may doubt the viability of Clark International Airport as an alternative to Manila in the long-term, the Philippine government continues to push forward with development of Clark beginning with the construction of a new P7.2 billion passenger terminal. 

14 comments:

  1. This is sad news, both for Clark and for travelers. Clark was a nice alternative to Manila: less crowded, easy to navigate, and less messy.
    But in spite of a very good effort by Qatar, one cannot overcome the fact that the time to commute to Clark is a nuisance, especially the dreadful traffic one has to struggle with to get to the North Super Highway.
    The government has promised a decent rail connection to Clark; it still has to appear or even be started. Stories circulate of bus service for Clark; but the traffic is awful for busses, too.
    Alas, Clark will not get off the ground unless the government gets serious about it. Meanwhile, a lot of money invested in Clark is going down the drain - which is not really unusual.

    ReplyDelete
  2. There are many people who live in North Luzon who actually prefer to fly from Clark Airport. Passenger numbers on this route will dictate whether Qatar continue to use Clark not more slots in NAIA

    ReplyDelete
  3. I like Clark - but it is the epitome of a typical poorly run local airport. They won't let your family walk into the massive empty check in lobby (underequipped with two small toilets) with you and they expect grandma to wait outside in the rain and sweltering heat for you when you come back. By the way – what’s with the higher airport fee?
    Without a good transportation link – you are flying into the middle of nowhere. I think it’s a safe assumption that no one wants to walk off a plane and stand outside to wait and try to find some sort of ride to the Metro. As is – it’s a decent world class facility, but without a proper terminal or ground transportation – airlines will continue to struggle to get passengers to make the journey from Clark.
    If Qatar leaves, what carrier is willing make the investment in regular long haul service there?

    ReplyDelete
  4. Clark, without proper infrastructure is a lost airport! Government is wasting money to build new terminals which nobody will use! Why not use the money to put a proper and functioning infrastructure in place and then talk about expanding the airport ? Clark has to be reached from any point in Metro Manila within a certain time. Not like now when you need to calculate 5 hours if traffic on EDSA and NLEX is at the worst. The population of OFW in economy class is not enough to support a daily flight. Cargo and business class is where the airline makes the profit and not on very stingy economy passengers.

    ReplyDelete
  5. I live in the north and for me, Clark is the best alternative to the ever worsening, no more solution, permanent traffic problem in Manila!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I live in Central Luzon and Clark is always and will always be the best Airport . I don't have to travel 5 hours from NAIA to reach home after the long journey on a flight from KSA.

      Delete
  6. Dios mio, perdon! What on earth would Qatar's and Emirates' B777 or A330 aircrafts landing at Macapagal Airport just wasting aviation gas and other fees just to serve a dozen of more OFWs from the Middle East? Me volvio loco aqui!' (sorry, I am Chavacano, trying to learn Tagalog).
    Now comes the inefficiency ratings of the Philippine government, particularly Gloria Macapagal, who wanted to elevate a post-mortem honors to her father by establishing and naming an airport in honor of DM, her father. Good karma but very illogical and waste of government money. Resulta: Pinoy taxpayer's money wasted and perennial mismanagement as always! Que horror!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Top-seed Middle Eastern air carriers are very patient and industrious when it comes to earning their market share in this thickly populated one hundred million Philipp the 2nd's country. We cannot blame them; that's how they expand their market to the inhabited continents of this planet. Look at Emirates raking profits and cuddling satisfied global customers!
      In short, why would I fly old rickety aircrafts of American or South African air carriers to Johannesburg when I can fly Emirates B777 and A380 planes? It is as simple as that.

      Delete
    2. fuking noytards

      Delete
  7. Hopefully Qatar Airways will resume back its Doha-Cebu sector after a new agreement has been granted unlimited traffic rights from Qatar to Clark, Cebu, and Davao. Inshallah.!

    ReplyDelete
  8. So, we go back to the WORST airport in the world, the AQUINO Airport. Great! Hello flight delays, long queues, lazy personnel, missing belongings, taxis/holdupers. Thanks useless President! Usted es inútil.

    ReplyDelete
  9. May I ask where you got that QR would stop Clark flights?

    ReplyDelete
  10. Check the company is officially recognised by a trustworthy source. A good place to check is 'IAATC - International Association of Air Travel Couriers'. thy uçak bileti

    ReplyDelete

Powered by Blogger.