CLARK FREEPORT—The inaugural Jetstar Asia flight from the Clark International Airport here to the Kansai International Airport in Osaka, Japan, departed as scheduled at 7 a.m. on Tuesday.
The fully booked Jetstar Asia inaugural flight is “the first of three return services a week,” Jetstar Asia CEO Bara Pasupathi said during the formal launching of the services at the Midori Hotel and Casino here.
“As the only airline flying direct services between Clark and Japan, our travel partners tell us that visitors and business travelers will be able to take advantage of our low fares and the convenient schedule spread over the weekdays and weekends,” he said.
“We know from experience that low fares stimulate demands and increase the number of people taking flights. As more and more Japanese businesses establish themselves in Clark, Jetstar is well-positioned to support the travel between the two countries,” he added.
At present, 41 Japanese-owned large businesses have been established in Clark, led by the biggest tire manufacturing company in the Philippines—Yokohama Tire Philippines, Inc. and a number of electronic firms. At least 20 more Japanese corporations are also reportedly eyeing the nearby New Clark City in Capas, Tarlac, which is currently being developed as an investment site.
Pasupathi recalled that only about six months ago, Jetstar was a bit hesitant to go to Clark. But, he said, Clark International Airport Corp. President Alex Cauguiran convinced them to go to Clark, telling them: “Once you come to Clark, you will increase your services.”
“So when we had our launch [Clark to Singapore] on November 28, we were, indeed very surprised to see the high load factors and the performance of the market,” Pasupathi said.
“So they knew something we did not know and so we were lucky to have good handshake with them and we promised them last November that we will increase flights to Clark, and we did increase flights to Clark—from three services to five services a week,” he told the audience of mostly travel stakeholders, airline officials from Qantas Airlines and other officials. “But little did we realize then that we will have the opportunity to expand that to bring the first international footprint in Japan from Clark. And so we are here to celebrate that,” he said.
The inaugural flight was fully booked, with 180 passengers onboard Jetstar’s Airbus A320 aircraft from Clark to Osaka and another 180 seats sold from Osaka to Clark. Pasupathi said that because of this, he was fortunate to sit in the cockpit with the pilots in the inaugural flight.
Cauguiran said “the new Jetstar Clark-Osaka flights will not only boost our operations, but validate Clark airport’s marketability and viability as an international hub.”
He added that Clark airport is now being aggressively pushed by the administration of President Duterte as Asia’s next premier gateway.
More than 20 million residents of Northern and Central Luzon can now start availing themselves of Jetstar Asia’s service to Japan.