NEW AVIATION FACILITY. Heading the groundbreaking ceremonies for Metrojet Ltd's aviation parking and maintenance facility at the Civil Aviation Complex in Clark, Pampanga on March 6, 2019 are: (L-R) Metrojet Ltd. Manager for Commercial Justin Yeung; Angeles City Vice Mayor Bryan Matthew Nepomuceno; Metrojet Engineering (Clark) Ltd. general manager Wesley Slate; Clark International Airport Corp. (CIAC) president and CEO Jaime Alberto Melo; John Leigh of Metrojet Ltd.; Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA) Vice President Arrey Perez; Metrojet CEO Gary Dolski; CIAC marketing manager Jay Punzalan; Metrojet Ltd. COO Bruce Watson; Mabalacat City Mayor Cris Garbo; and Metrojet Ltd. regional manager for Operational Excellence and Special Projects Dwyn Jones. (Photo courtesy of CIAC-Corporate Communications Office)
CLARK FREEPORT, Pampanga – A USD25-million state-of-the-art business aviation parking and maintenance facility will soon be built at the Civil Aviation Complex inside this Freeport zone.
Officials of Metrojet Limited led by its manager for commercial Justin Yeung, together with Angeles City Vice Mayor Bryan Matthew Nepomuceno, led the groundbreaking ceremony for the facility that is expected to be operational by the first quarter of 2020.
Bruce Watson, chief operating officer of Metrojet Limited, said the construction of the USD25-million facility is part of the company’s Southeast Asian expansion.
"This development represents the largest investment made by Metrojet in its 21-year history, demonstrating our commitment to the development of business aviation in the Philippines. With this Clark facility, we at Metrojet are strengthening our footprint in Southeast Asia,” he said.
Watson added that the growing strategic importance of Clark, with its freedom of operations and Freeport zone, enabled them to provide their clients with a high quality and very competitive hangar parking and maintenance facility in the region, especially with locations such as Hong Kong and Singapore becoming increasingly expensive and having the capacity constraints.
Dwyn Jones, Metrojet Limited’s regional manager for operational excellence and special projects, meanwhile, expressed appreciation for the support of the Philippine government in this investment as part of the economic and innovative growth of Clark airport.
"Not only will this facility help us to provide high-quality aircraft services to our clients, but this investment represents our commitment to create local jobs and build opportunities,” Jones said.
Vince Dizon, president and CEO of the Bases Conversion and Development Authority, for his part, cited Clark not only as a strong business district but also an ideal aviation and logistics hub.
“The ongoing expansion of the Clark International Airport positions Clark as a premier international gateway in the Philippines. I am optimistic that this would bode well for Metrojet's new investment in Clark and for future investors from the aviation industry," the BCDA official said.
The 26,000-square meter facility was designed to provide a world-class customer experience while maximizing safety and productivity in all activities.
With over 7,100-square meter of hangar floor space, the facility can typically accommodate up to 10 long-range business jets.
Set to be built to the highest international standards, the aviation parking facility will include a full typhoon-proof structure, an aviation specific fire suppression system, and over 2,500-square meter customer accommodation and storage area.
With a dedicated taxi-way and parking ramp of over 11,000 square meters, it will provide secure and private aircraft parking, and maintenance.
Also present during the groundbreaking ceremony were Metrojet Engineering (Clark) Ltd. general manager Wesley Slate; Clark International Airport Corp. president and chief executive officer Jaime Alberto Melo; Bases Conversion and Development Authority vice president Arrey Perez; and Mabalacat City Mayor Cris Garbo. (PNA)
