Clark to have PH’s tallest control tower in Q2
The country’s highest air traffic control (ATC) tower that is being built at the Clark free port zone is slated to be completed by the second quarter of this year, according to the Clark International Airport Corp. (CIAC).
CIAC president Jojit Alcazar, in a statement on Friday, said the ATC tower would improve safety of the passengers as the aviation sector sees sustained travel momentum.
The tower in Clark has 18 levels and is around 54 meters tall. Currently, the tallest ATC tower in the country is the 40-meter facility at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (Naia) in Pasay City.
CIAC said their engineers and specialists had undergone training on the operations of traffic communication, navigation and surveillance systems conducted by air traffic communication manufacturers based in Norway and Italy.
“We’ll be able to vastly improve Clark’s air traffic control system and allow for increased safety as we anticipate an increase in the volume of air travel,” Alcazar said.
This year, Clark airport operator Luzon International Premiere Airport Development Corp. (Lipad) expects to cater to 3.3 million to 3.4 million passengers given the anticipated increase in flight activities with the transfer of turboprop operations from Naia.
This means a potential growth of as much as 42 percent after hosting 2.4 million passengers in the past year.
Lipad CEO Noel Manankil earlier said they were ready to welcome the turboprops, noting they have the capacity to immediately absorb about 1.6 million passengers.
Turboprops are being phased out of Naia to free up more slots for bigger jets.
