GMA leads groundbreaking of $100-M repair service facility in Clark complex

President Arroyo led yesterday the groundbreaking of the $100-million maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) facility at the 2,500-hectare Clark Civil Aviation Complex that would service long-haul airlines in the world.

Clark International Airport Corp. (CIAC) president and CEO Victor Jose Luciano said the chief executive was grateful to see the first ever world-class MRO set up inside the airport complex.

“The President told me that she was very happy and grateful and that she wanted this project to be set up at Clark as this is her dream in making the Diosdado Macapagal International Airport as the leading service and logistics hub in the world,” Luciano said.

Mrs. Arroyo and Luciano were joined by SIA Engineering Co. (SIAEC) president and CEO William Tan and Cebu Pacific Air president and CEO Lance Gokongwei in the groundbreaking for the multi-million dollar project which is expected to be completed by mid 2009.

“This is one of the main components of the vision to make Clark a leading aviation service hub for the Asia Pacific Region, this is the maintenance facility for commercial aircrafts,” Luciano added.

He said the project is the second base of SIA Engineering from their main hub in Singapore. “They (SIAEC) decided to put up another hub in the country located in Clark that will eventually construct five big hangars that will service long-haul commercial aircrafts. It means a lot of economic activity, a lot of employment, it will generate 1,000 jobs and it will also translate into 10,000 indirect jobs,” Luciano pointed out.

The MRO facility will service long-haul commercial aircraft and is expected to further improve services at the DMIA which is being pump-primed as the next premier gateway of the Philippines.

“The MRO fulfills the vision of President Arroyo to make Clark a leading world-class service hub in the Asia Pacific Region,” Luciano said.

For his part, Gokongwei said: “We are positive that a world-class MRO facility at Clark will further enhance aerospace into the Philippines. With SIA Engineering’s MRO proficiency, we will certainly develop the local talent pool of aerospace management and engineering personnel. In addition, a heavy maintenance facility in the Philippines will significantly enhance Cebu Pacific Air’s reliability and engineering quality.”

SIA Engineering (Philippines) is 65 percent owned by SIAEC with Cebu Pacific Air owning a 35-percent stake in the joint venture.

The project involves the initial construction of three large hangars that will service long-haul commercial aircraft at its 10-hectare property at the airport. The first hangar will service narrow–bodied aircraft such as the Airbus 320 while the second and third will service wide-bodied aircraft such as the Boeing 747s and 777s.

The facility will generate at least 1,000 jobs in its construction phase and is expected to be completed by the second quarter of 2009. The MRO will complement the development of the DMIA as a logistics and services hub as well as the Clark airport as envisioned by President Arroyo.

Luciano stressed the MRO is an important integral part of the operations of the DMIA because it can now handle the maintenance, repair and overhaul of legacy carriers in the Asian region.

A part of the Singapore Airlines Group, SIAEC provides maintenance services for the more than 60 international carriers operating at Singapore’s Changi International Airport, including airframe and component overhaul on some of the most advanced, widely-used commercial aircraft in the world.

SIAEC’s line maintenance support extends to more than 40 airports such as Australia, China, Indonesia, Hong Kong and the Philippines.