Clark International Airport Corp. will assume oversight functions and monitor the daily operations of the privately-run Clark International Airport, CIAC officer-in-charge Darwin Cunanan said Thursday.
Cunanan said this was based on a directive by Department of Transportation Secretary Jaime Bautista dated Nov. 7 ordering CIAC to exercise “regulatory supervision and oversight of activities occurring within the Clark Civil Aviation Complex, including CRK.”
CRK is the code used by the International Air Transport Association for Clark International Airport.
The DOTr exercises policy and operational supervision over CIAC, while private consortium Luzon International Premier Airport Development Corp. acts as operator of the Clark airport.
“The DOTr gave CIAC the authority to represent the department in the functions of its administrative supervision over LIPAD’s airport operations, so we shall be working closely with LIPAD in ensuring that operations abide by international standards and other rules and regulations as provided for by the national government,” Cunanan said.
The DOTr also notified state-run Bases Conversion and Development Authority about CIAC’s oversight functions. CIAC is a unit of BCDA.
Cunanan said Bautista had also directed CIAC to “contribute to the overall efficiency of the Philippine air transportation system and serve its role as an alternate airport.”
“As the national government’s aviation authority in Clark, we have been ordered to oversee the day-to-day operations of the airport simultaneous with our day-to-day management of aviation-related business activities within the civil aviation complex,” he said.
A part of the function of CIAC is to ensure that the airport facility is operated and maintained safely and securely by LIPAD in accordance with International Civil Aviation Organization and the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines standards, and other airport safety and security related policies, rules and regulations.
The government privatized Clark Airport’s operations and maintenance in 2019, based on the 25-year consortium agreement between BCDA and LIPAD.
CIAC is host to the mixed-use commercial hub Clark Global City and other locators engaged in manufacturing, information and technology, renewable energy and other non-aviation-related industries.