Philippines’ Clark airport makes pitch as aviation hub

Last week, Philippine delegates pitched Clark International Airport’s viability as an attractive regional hub for global aerospace and aviation companies

Airport developer Berthaphil is calling on maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) companies to consider setting up at Clark, where SIA Engineering has already established its own airframe maintenance operations. 

Located 80 kilometres north of the capital Manila, the international airport can be accessed via the expressway and is situated within the free trade zone. This means interested parties can get favourable tax concessions, including up to a 7-year tax holiday and then a 5 percent corporate income tax rate.

Berthaphil, which also built the first bonded warehouse and logistics centre at Clark, is offering a 10-hectare airfield site, with access to the primary runway, which can accommodate large widebody aircraft. The developer said the vacant property is available ‘as is’ or for a ‘a build to suit’ project.

Apart from MRO companies, the groups are also targeting cargo airlines, logistics companies, fixed-based operators, business aviation companies, original equipment makers, regional and international airlines, and training organisations.

Companies that have established operations at Clark include Singapore-based SIA Engineering and Hong Kong-based MetroJet. With a new terminal building, the airport has capacity for 80 million passengers, It is also an air cargo gateway for UPS, DHL and FedEx.