Clark International Airport

Clark International Airport, also known as Diosdado Macapagal International Airport from 2003 to 2014, is an international airport in the cities of Angeles and Mabalacat in the Clark Freeport and Special Economic Zone in Pampanga, Philippines. It is about 80 kilometers (50 miles) northwest of Manila and can be reached using the Subic–Clark–Tarlac Expressway.

The airport provides international and domestic flights for the area known as Metro Clark, as well as for Central Luzon, Northern Luzon, and parts of the Manila metropolitan area and the capital city. The airport's name comes from the former American Clark Air Base, which was a large base of the United States Air Force before it was closed and given to the Government of the Philippines in 1991.

Today, the airport is run by Luzon International Premier Airport Development (LIPAD) Corp., a group made up of several companies including JG Summit Holdings, Filinvest Development Corporation, Philippine Airport Ground Support Solutions (PAGSS) Inc., and Changi Airports Philippines Pte. Ltd.. Part of the airport is still used by the Philippine Air Force as Clark Air Base.

In 2024, Clark International Airport won an award for marketing from Routes Asia after serving almost 2 million passengers in 2023, which was a big increase compared to the year before.

History

For more information about Clark Airport before 1991, see Clark Air Base.

In 1902, the United States built Fort Stotsenberg. They later made an airfield there, naming it Clark Air Field in 1919 after aviator Major Harold Melville Clark. During World War II, both the United States and Japan used this airfield.

After the eruption of Mount Pinatubo in June 1991, the Philippine government took back Clark Air Base. In 1992, laws were passed to turn the area into a special economic zone. By 1996, the airport opened for commercial flights.

In 2003, the airport was named Diosdado Macapagal International Airport to honor a former president. It later returned to being called Clark International Airport in 2012. The airport grew over the years, and a new terminal finished in 2020 and opened to passengers in 2022.

Geographical location

Clark International Airport is located in the Clark Freeport Zone on the island of Luzon. It is about 98 kilometers (61 miles) north of Manila and 163 kilometers (101 miles) from Baguio. The airport lies between Mount Pinatubo to the west and Mount Arayat to the east.

The airport is part of the Clark Freeport Zone's Civil Aviation Complex, which covers 2,367 hectares (5,850 acres). It connects directly to the Subic–Clark–Tarlac Expressway (SCTEX), linking to the North Luzon Expressway (NLEX) for easy travel to Metro Manila. The area around the airport has about 23 million people living in the Ilocos Region, Cagayan Valley, Central Luzon, the Cordillera Administrative Region, and northern Metro Manila.

Structure

Passenger terminal

Clark International Airport has a large passenger building that opened in 2022. It is 82,600 square meters and has four floors. It can welcome up to twelve million travelers each year. The ground floor has spots to pick up bags and greet visitors. The second floor has areas for moving between flights and checking passports for travelers from other countries. There are special bridges called jet bridges to help people get on planes easily. The third floor has counters for checking bags before flights and waiting areas. The top floor has places to eat and special rooms for important travelers.

The outside of the building looks like waves and was inspired by nearby mountains.

Runways

Clark International Airport used to have two long runways for planes. But one of them stopped being used in 2017. The main runway is still in use and is 3,200 meters long.

Air traffic control tower

Plans were made in 2020 to build a very tall tower to help control airplanes. It was supposed to be finished by the end of 2021, but as of December 2023, it is not done yet because of some problems.

Second hangar

In March 2024, leaders announced plans to build a very large hangar for airplanes at Clark International Airport. This will be the airport's second hangar. The announcement happened when a leader from the Philippines visited Germany.

Airlines and destinations

Passenger

The passenger side of Clark International Airport has many flights. You can fly to different places in the Philippines and to other countries, too.

Cargo

Clark International Airport also handles cargo, which means goods and products being moved by plane. This helps businesses send and receive items quickly.

Statistics

Data is from the Clark International Airport Corporation (CIAC).

Awards

Clark International Airport has won several awards for its work. In 2006, it was named Low-Cost Airport of the Year by the Center for Asia Pacific Aviation. In 2008, it received the Airport of the Year title for airports with fewer than 15 million passengers from Frost & Sullivan Asia Pacific Aerospace and Defense Awards. In 2013, it won the Routes Airport Marketing Awards for airports with fewer than 20 million passengers. Most recently, in 2023, it was honored as a Laureate in the World's Most Beautiful Airports by Prix Versailles.

Ground transportation

The Subic–Clark–Tarlac Expressway (SCTEx) helps you drive to the airport fast. There are two exits: Clark North and Clark South. If you are flying to or from Ninoy Aquino International Airport in Metro Manila, you can use a special road called Skyway. This road connects to other roads to the airport terminals.

For shorter trips, you can take air-conditioned jeepneys to places like Dau Bus Terminal in Mabalacat or SM City Clark in Angeles City. From Dau, you can catch buses to many cities and towns. There are also direct buses to big places in Metro Manila, Subic, Olongapo in Zambales, Dagupan in Pangasinan, and Vigan in Ilocos Sur.

In the future, a train station at the airport will connect it to New Clark City in Capas, Tarlac, Tutuban in Manila, and Calamba in Laguna. This train is expected to be ready by 2027.