CEBU: Clark International Airport (CRK) remains viable for passenger and cargo services that will help link Cebu and Clark to the rest of the world as Emirates Airlines officially commenced its daily Dubai-Cebu-Clark circular flights on March 30, utilizing Boeing 777-300ER that will further connect the Philippines to 150 destinations across the world.
“Whenever we start operations for any destinations, we look at the passenger and cargo demand, which we believe is sufficient in Clark. It will be a successful operation,” Manila Bulletin quoted Badr Abbas, Senior Vice President Commercial Operations Far East of Emirates Airlines as saying.
Abbas also said “another advantage starting to Cebu and Clark is because, 75 percent of the Overseas Filipino Workers living in the Gulf like UAE, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Qatar are actually from Central and Northern Luzon and Clark Airport is very near.”
“This is also one advantage and reason for starting our circular services and also Cebu that people living in the Visayas and Mindanao will benefit to our services,” he was quoted as saying.
Abbas also reportedly said that there are at least close to a million OFWs in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and the Gulf more than 2.5 million OFWs living in the area. “The Gulf is the second largest after the United States for Filipino overseas workers.”
Abbas was quoted as saying by Manila Bulletin that they decided to return to Clark because “a circular service to Cebu-Clark will be very good for Emirates to connect and to give more connectivity and options for the Filipinos, tourists and businesses and cargo.”
