DOTR, BCDA boost air transport, logistics at CRK

The Department of Transportation (DOTR) and the Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA) have agreed to advance the air transport and logistics services industry at the Clark International Airport (CRK).

The DOTR and the BCDA signed an agreement on 04 December 2025 that will make CRK one of the country’s premier hubs for industrial, manufacturing, transport, and other services.

According to Transportation Secretary Giovanni Lopez, the said thrust is part of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s order to the DOTR and BCDA to explore ways to foster market access opportunities and facilitate efficient passenger movement at CRK.

Lopez said the agreement is crucial in Central Luzon as it will promote the country’s aviation and aerospace sectors, benefitting passengers and the economy.

“This will foster market access and opportunities in Central Luzon. But more than anything, there will be new economic activities because of the IMT,” Secretary Lopez said during the agreement signing.

BCDA President and CEO Engr. Joshua M. Bingcang said, “This will bring in more manufacturing activity and more transport enterprises linked to Clark International Airport. It also means a bigger economic contribution from Clark. Our role at BCDA is to make sure the right infrastructure is in place so the airport can expand, and logistics and transport firms can operate here with ease.”

Under the agreement, the DOTR and BCDA, along with CRK’s private operator, Luzon International Premiere Airport Development (LIPAD) Corp., will establish a location for the Industrial, Manufacturing, Transport (IMT) business and related services at the airport.

The deal will likewise study and explore the feasibility of implementing incentive programs to attract and establish IMT businesses and related services.

Secretary Lopez said the establishment of the IMT will drive and attract tourism and spur economic activity in the region to support President Marcos Jr.’s 2023–2028 Philippine Development Plan (PDP).

CRK is located at the Clark Freeport Zone in Pampanga and serves as a primary international gateway for Central and Northern Luzon. The airport’s four-level passenger terminal building opened in 2022 and handles all domestic and international flights.

Its new passenger terminal has an annual capacity of eight million passengers, which can be expanded to 12 million. The terminal is a four-level, 110,000-square-meter building that started operations in May 2022.