filipinoavgeek wrote
While I know there are many proponents of using Clark as Manila's new airport, even with the NSCR, I don't think it could work as a primary airport. For one thing, it's about 100 kilometers from central Manila, which is quite far (for comparison, even Narita is only around 60-70 km from most of Tokyo). The train will help, but that distance would be greatly impractical for many purposes. Other airlines have already tried using it as a Manila alternative, with mixed results at best. One reason Clark still has a niche is that, instead of being just a Manila reliever, it's also now being used as a gateway to central and northern Luzon, a niche that Cebu Pacific is doing quite well. At best, Clark will only be able to completement and not replace NAIA and NMIA. It's probably better off focusing on its current niche: with the growth of Central Luzon's economy and population, and the future plans for New Clark City, if/when those come to fruition then Clark can stand on its own and do well anyway.
Nobody is expecting Clark to be a sole primary airport. Don’t look at it in a vacuum. NAIA will be difficult to close because even though it’s too small for our current and future needs, it’s just big enough to be very convenient for people in our CBDs.
That being said, in terms of travel time, during rush hour, NAIA and Clark are practically equidistant for someone in Quezon City, the most populous and richest LGU in the Philippines.
In a scenario where NAIA will never close, Clark is perfect as a second airport. And with the infrastructure invested in it, it can take on the role of NRT in the greater Tokyo area. HND may be a preferred airport, but NRT still handles plenty of Tokyo traffic. They have multiple rail and bus connections that cater to this traffic.
Let me put it another way. The government borrowed billions just to extend the NSCR to Clark. Clark airport station, which is underground, is not cheap. Despite all of this, SMC got away with putting up an airport that competes with Clark’s catchment area. So SMC is essentially competing with a taxpayer project and our taxpayer money will have difficulty getting ROI while SMC does their own thing that was not in any single development or infrastructure master plan at all. And NMIA has no rail link. Who will pay to give it a rail link? Tayo din ba? Or will it SMC just send BRT services on their magical expressways with solid white lines?
The worst part is that we gave it to SMC knowing their very horrible track record completing things. They can’t even give us proper updates on the terminal expansion in NAIA. Heck, they couldn’t even properly manage Caticlan.
So my approach to all of this is just to believe what I see. I don’t see civil works for a runway. I don’t see civil works for a terminal. Once I see those, then I’ll count a decade to see any realistic completion date.
Locked
