The commercial operation of Clark International Airport’s (CRK) new passenger terminal building (PTB) was moved anew to December this year, given the strict travel restrictions due to the coronavirus pandemic.
In a statement, the Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA) said the new PTB will open its doors to passengers and visitors by the end of 2021.
The Department of Transportation earlier said the new CRK was targeted to start partial operations with domestic flights initially, then full operations by this month.
BCDA said the airport will feature inclusive amenities such as all-gender restrooms, nursing stations and multifaith prayer rooms.
“At CRK, it is about accommodation and inclusion for all,” said Vince Dizon, BCDA president and chief executive officer.
Restrooms at the new CRK terminal will provide all-gender accommodations for transgender, non-binary identifying individuals and cis-gender people traveling with opposite-sex children or elderly companions. Other inclusive features include nursing stations and prayer rooms, each with a foot-washing area for Muslims.
Inclusivity and intuitiveness are among the key principles that Luzon International Premiere Airport Development Corp. (LIPAD) follows in terms of operating and managing the new CRK terminal.
With a vision to be the quietest gateway in the Philippines, LIPAD will operate a “silent airport policy” where passengers and visitors will rarely hear boarding calls and instead rely on posted announcements for quick reference.
The construction of the structure was handled by a consortium of Megawide Construction Corp. and GMR Infrastructure Ltd. The certificate for the completion of the airport was turned over to LIPAD last January.
CRK’s new PTB was completed in October 2020. It is the first phase of the airport’s expansion which will increase passenger capacity from the current four million to 12 million per year.
The new PTB is the first hybrid public-private partnership project completed under the Build, Build, Build program of the Duterte administration.
LIPAD, led by Filinvest Development Corp., JG Summit Holdings Inc., Changi Airports Philippines Pte. Ltd. and Philippine Airport Ground Solutions Inc., won the 25-year concession for the operation and management of CRK in January 2019. – Myla Iglesias
