THE CONSTRUCTION of the planned second runway at Clark International Airport is expected to begin next year, according to Luzon International Premiere Airport Development (LIPAD) Corp.

“This is a project of the Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA). They are our grantor and also the owner of the land. Right now, BCDA is bidding out the detailed engineering design for the second runway,” LIPAD Chief Executive Officer Noel F. Manankil told BusinessWorld.

If plans proceed as scheduled, BCDA is expected to complete the detailed engineering design by yearend, Mr. Manankil said.

“Hopefully, they will start the actual construction next year. It would be good because we are attracting a lot of express freight,” he said.

In February, LIPAD — the operator of Clark International Airport — said it needs a second, or alternate, runway to support operations, as it would provide redundancy for cargo and passenger flights.

“Historically, the location of Clark is good for aircraft operations because of the elevation. What more if we have another runway to further supplement our position,” he said.

He said the alternate runway would help position Clark as an aviation hub, as it would attract more logistics operators to expand their operations at the airport and improve the airport’s current movement capacity.

At present, Clark International Airport has a single runway, which can handle up to 40 aircraft movements per hour.

For 2024, the airport operator expects passenger traffic to reach up to 3.4 million, driven by strong demand and the transfer of turboprop operations from Ninoy Aquino International Airport.

LIPAD is composed of Filinvest Development Corp., JG Summit Holdings, Inc., Philippine Airport Ground Support Services, Inc., and Changi Airports Philippines (I) Pte. Ltd., a wholly owned subsidiary of Changi Airports International. — Ashley Erika O. Jose