CLARK FREEPORT, Pampanga – The Diosdado Macapagal International Airport (DMIA) here is now Japan Airline’s (JAL) “first choice for flight emergency operations.”
In a meeting with officials of the Clark International Airport Corp. (CIAC), JAL deputy station and flight operations manager Crisologo Zenarosa described the DMIA as “an ideal primary airport for their flight diversion emergency operations in the country.”
“DMIA is a first choice for JAL’s flight emergency operations,” he said.
Zenarosa said JAL flies twice a day between Manila and Tokyo, using the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA). “The last time we visited DMIA was in 2001, and we are now here to see the various developments and improvements of the airport especially its terminal,” he noted.
“So we want to have our flight diversion operations here at DMIA and we are very happy of the improvements we see in your area,” Zenaroza told CIAC officials in the meeting headed by CIAC vice president for operations and DMIA general manager Bienvenido Manga.
Among the JAL officials who attended the meeting were manager for maintenance Hideo Kurosawa, assistant manager for passenger service Steven Moses Alparce, freight and mail agent Leandro Sapor and maintenance manager Herr Obusan.
Manga briefed the JAL delegates on developments on DMIA’s terminal expansion to accommodate at least two million passengers annually. He said that the new terminal will be completed by March this year.
“The construction of the Terminal 2 project will most likely start in the middle of this year and it is expected to accommodate at least eight million passengers annually,” he also told his guests, adding that “the on-going construction of the $1.5 million inflight catering services of the Miascor and Gate Gourmet will prepare at least 4,000 meals per day once it operates this year.”
The JAL delegates also inspected the air traffic control tower, the radar approach control, the Pagasa weather station, the passenger terminal, the groundhandling service facility, the inflight catering facility and the Lubewell refueling service.