Diosdado Macapagal International Airport

Diosdado Macapagal International Airport,Paliparang Pandaigdig ng Diosdado Macapagal, Kapampangan: Sulapawang Internasyonal ning Diosdado Macapagal), also called Clark International Airport (IATA: CRK, ICAO: RPLC), is the main airport serving the immediate vicinity of the Clark Special Economic Zone (CSEZ) and the general area of Angeles City in the Philippines. It also serves the northern and central regions of Luzon, and being 85 kilometers (50 miles) from the older Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) that serves Manila, DMIA also serves Metro Manila and its immediate vicinity. It is located on an area of the economic zone formerly utilized as the Clark Air Base, which was closed in late 1991 by the U.S. Air Forces after the explosion of Mount Pinatubo.

The two parallel runways of DMIA are capable of NASA Space Shuttle landings. However, it is no longer listed as an active landing site, and it has never had a Space Shuttle land there.

The airport is managed by the Clark International Airport Corporation (CIAC), a government-owned and/or controlled corporation.

History

1993: The former Clark Air Base was reopened as the Clark Special Economic Zone (CSEZ) after the area was cleared from lahar debris from the Mount Pinatubo explosion and a typhoon that followed.

1995: During the administration of former President Fidel V. Ramos, Clark International Airport was designated to be the future primary international gateway of the Philippines and the major international airport of Metro Manila and its neighboring provinces when Ninoy Aquino International Airport in Metro Manila has reached full capacity and can no longer be expanded.

2003: Clark International Airport was renamed by President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo as the Diosdado Macapagal International Airport (DMIA), in memory of her father, former President Diosdado Macapagal.

February 5, 2007: President Arroyo ordered the Clark International Airport Corporation (CIAC) to fund the US$1.7 billion (PH₱76.5 billion) expansion of DMIA and the approval of a US$2 million (PH₱90 million) study plan financed by the Korean International Cooperation Agency.

March 2007: Gate Gourmet and Miascor invested US$3 million (PH₱135 million) to construct an in-flight catering service facility. The new facility will be able to prepare over 4,000 meals a day for the airlines operating from DMIA, and it is being constructed on a 3,000m² site adjacent to the CIAC headquarters.

April 5, 2007 President Arroyo led the official activation newly-installed US$9.3 million (PH₱418.5 million) modern terminal radar system.

October 12, 2007: An Airbus A380 MSN009 test aircraft landed in DMIA and demonstrated that it can be used under normal airline operating conditions. This shows that DMIA can operate the Airbus A380 and become the Premier Airport of the Philippines in near future.

January 2008: The first stage of DMIA's expansion program, a PH₱130 million terminal expansion, was completed to accommodate more than 2 million passengers annually.

November 6, 2008 President Arroyo leads in the time-capsule laying ceremonies for the US$100 million (PH₱4.5 billion) maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) facility of SIA Engineering Company.

November 9, 2008: Officials of CIAC and Spirit of Manila Airlines led the groundbreaking ceremonies for the construction of a world-class aircraft hangar facility worth PH₱1 billion. The hangar is expected to be completed by mid-2009, which will house various aircraft such as Boeing 747-8 and Airbus A380.

May 4, 2009 The M.A. Kharafi and Sons, a large private company based in Kuwait with a variety of commercial interests, expressed its interest to invest some US$1.2 billion (PH₱54 billion) in further developing the Diosdado Macapagal International Airport.

December 2009 Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) has granted the government at least $5 million (PH₱225 million) for a “transition study” that would make the DMIA the country’s premiere international airport. The study is expected to be finished by the fourth quarter of 2010 which it will cover transport network needed between the NAIA and DMIA.

January 2010 CIAC board of directors had approved the proposed $1.2 billion (PH₱54 billion) total investment value of Almal Investment Co. and committed to develop three passenger terminals.

Terminal Radar Approach Control System

In 2007, DMIA received and activated a Terminal Radar Approach Control (TRACON) system, worth US$9.3 million, that translates to investment in the future of air travel at Clark. The TRACON can track aircraft in a radius pattern up to 220 nautical miles (410 km) from DMIA, and with this system in place, it places the airport along with other major airports around the region.This system adds significant safety advantages, speeds-up arrivals and departures, and ensures a greater level of airline pilots' confidence. The system answers the needs of - and opens the door to - major air carriers to establish service at DMIA, and the radar installation makes the airport compliant with International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) standards.

In addition to the TRACON system, various state-of-the-art electronic communication, radar, navigation, approach lighting, and fire/safety systems have been implemented at the DMIA; these systems include an Instrument Landing System (ILS) Doppler, Very High Frequency Omnidirectional Range (VOR), VHF/UHF Transmitters, modern meteorological equipment, Precision Approach Path Indicator, Airfield Ground Lighting Systems (AGLS), and an advanced Category 9 Crash, Fire and Rescue Equipment system.

The CIAC ensures the work is done safely when it works with various contractors for critical airport equipment and infrastructure. In the instance of the TRACON radar system mentioned above, one of the largest European telecommunications companies, SELEX Sistemi Integrati, was hired as the prime contractor.

Terminal 1

The PHP 130 million current expanded Terminal 1, designed to accommodate at least one million to two million passengers annually, was inaugurated by President Arroyo on April 2008 to serve the growing passenger volume due to the entry of foreign and local budget carriers at the airport.

CIAC has embarked on a $12 million (PH₱550 million) expansion plan to attract more carriers and become the second international gateway into the Philippines. Completed in April 2010, the expansion adds a second story, arrival and departure lounges, and two aerobridges to the terminal building. The expansion will boost DMIA's capacity to two and a half million from two million.

Once Terminal 2 is completed, Terminal 1 will take over all domestic routes.

Terminal 2

The Terminal 2 of the DMIA comes in two phases. Once completed, it will be dedicated to international traffic.

First phase

A master plan was developed by Korea international Cooperation Agency (KOICA) in November 2008 looking for a second terminal. It will have a total floor area of 35,000 square meters and a 7 million-passenger capacity per year.Total investment for this phase is estimated at US$150 million (PH₱6.75 billion) with completion expected in 2013.

This phase involves the following:

Construction of an airport plaza.

Construction of a transport plaza.

Construction of a covered parking area.

Construction of new taxiways and aprons.

Expansion of existing apron facilities.

Widening, improvement and construction of access roads with interchanges.

Demolition of some existing buildings

Development of a new identity and signature and site and utilities development.

Other projects

Under the proposed airport development of ALMAL, the airport runways will be further improved to accommodate bigger aircraft, hotels and commercial buildings. Other aviation facilities will also be constructed.

Construction of two new railway lines, one for the Airport Railway, and another for the NorthRail commuter and high speed rail line serving Metro Manila and several northern Luzon provinces.

Construction of two interchanges on the Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway to DMIA, which will then connect to the existing North Luzon Expressway which was completed on February 2009.

Runways

DMIA currently has two 3,200-meter parallel runways, one of which will be extended to 4,000 meters to accommodate new generation wide-bodied aircraft. The runways' descriptions include:

The primary runway (Runway 02R/20L) has a length of 3,200 meters and a width of 60 meters. It is equipped with various navigational aids and lighting facilities, and it has a Category 1 rating for precision approach.

The secondary runway (Runway 02L/20R) has the same length as the primary runway (3,200 m) and a width of 45 meters, and it is currently used for Visual Flight Rules (VFR) only since the navigational aids and lighting facilities present in the primary runway have not yet been installed.