Taiwan airline launches Clark flights

CLARK FIELD, Pampanga — Taiwan’s Far Eastern Transport Corp. (FAT) launched the first of its thrice weekly Clark-Taipei flights at the Diosdado Macapagal International Airport (DMIA) here late Friday.

Amid increased flights bringing in mostly tourists and vacationing overseas Filipino workers here, the Clark Development Corp. (CDC) also launched last Saturday the first-ever Manyaman Festival showcasing Pampango dishes at the Bayanihan Park, near Clark’s main gate in Angeles City.

The food festival will be held on a regular basis at the 12-hectare park recently developed by SM Prime Holdings reportedly at a cost of P100 million.

Victor Jose Luciano, CDC executive vice president, said FAT saw the potential of launching regular flights to Clark after a recent Taiwanese business mission realized the growing tourist market here.

Luciano said FAT will use its Boeing 757s and MD 80s for the Taipei-Clark Flights.

Earlier, the HK Express Airways announced the launching of its regular Clark-Hong Kong flights on Aug. 7.

Meanwhile, tourists, among them passengers of the FAT maiden flight to Clark, were treated to cooking demonstrations and contests participated in by several Pampanga towns as part of the weekend Manyaman Festival. — Ding Cervantes, Ric Sapnu