With the aim of offering affordable travel opportunities for more provincial residents, Philippine low-cost carrier (LCC) Cebu Pacific has established its international operations at Clark, Pampanga, its fourth hub after Cebu, Manila, and Davao.

From the Diosdado Macapagal International Airport (DMIA), Cebu Pacific now has daily flights to Hong Kong, and Singapore, thrice-weekly services to Bangkok, and trips to Macau four times a week.

"They can now go to Hong Kong, Singapore, Bangkok and Macau without the hassle of going all the way to Manila," said airline president and CEO Lance Gokongwei.

Passengers with no checked luggage can travel to Singapore, Hong Kong, and Bangkok for as low as P799, a thousand pesos cheaper than the P1,799 fares from Manila. Macau flights cost P299 from Clark, also for travelers with no bags for check-in. Aside from fares, passengers have to pay fuel surcharge and other fees ranging from $45 to $50. Only one plane is used for all regional flights launched from DMIA.

After the recently concluded air talks with Hongkong and Macau, Cebu Pacific is making the most out of Clark's new entitlements with the recently concluded air talks with Hong Kong and Macau. In addition to this, Singapore has accommodated Cebu Pacific's flights from Clark with the city-state's relaxed aviation regulatory barriers.

"The air talks now is fairer. We should not be second class citizens in our own country. In fairness, we said if they [Philippine air panel] will get us all these reciprocal flights [for Clark through air talks], we'll fly. And the moment they got it, we started flying," Gokongwei said.

More passengers for Clark

Cebu Pacific's launch of regional flights in Clark involved an additional $40 million worth of investments. President Arroyo on Thursday led the groundbreaking rites of the $100 million maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) facility at the Clark International Airport Corporation (CIAC).

The MRO facility is owned by SIA Engineering (Philippines) Corp., a joint venture between Singapore Airlines Engineering Co. and Cebu Pacific. The new facility, slated for completion by the second quarter of 2009, will complement the DMIA, which is touted as the next premiere gateway of the Philippines.

According to CIAC president and CEO Victor Jose Luciano, Cebu Pacific's new base may mean an additional 500,000 to 1 million passengers in DMIA every year.

He said that other airlines such as Zest Air and Spirit of Manila are also applying for Clark-based services. The Philippine Airlines (PAL), however, is yet to accept CIAC's invitation for expansion in the former military airbase.

Last year, around two million passengers traveled from DMIA while Cebu Pacific, on the other hand, served more than five million. For 2008, the LCC is targeting an estimate of seven million passengers.