Monday, March 31, 2008 [ philstar.com ]
CLARK FREEPORT, Pampanga – The Diosdado Macapagal International Airport (DMIA) here bagged the “Airport of the Year” award together with Singapore’s world-class Changi International Airport during the 2008 Frost & Sullivan Asia Pacific Aerospace and Defense Awards held last March 14 in Singapore, the Clark International Airport Corp. (CIAC) said yesterday.
“In recognition of its past year performance and expansion efforts, Frost & Sullivan awards the 2008 Frost & Sullivan Asia Pacific Airport of the Year Award for the airport serving below 15 million annual passengers category to DiosdadoMacapagal International Airport,” the citation given to the DMIA said.
Two years ago, the DMIA also won the “Low Cost Airport of the Year 2006 Award” from the Centre for Asia Pacific Aviation (CAPA).
This, developed as the CIAC announced yesteray that “two multi-billion peso logistics projects comprising a logistics park and a maintenance, repair and overhaul facilities” will soon rise at the DMIA.
CIAC president Victor Jose Luciano will sign the agreements on these projects with the Singapore Airlines Engineering Co. (SIAEC) and the Kuwait Gulf and Link (KGL) of Kuwait during the inauguration of the expanded passenger terminal of the DMIA in time for the President Arroyo’s birthday on April 4.
Luciano said KGL will establish a “global gateway logistics park located at Industrial Estate Five initially costing $25 million, while SIAEC of Singapore will set up a $100-million, 10-hectare maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) facility at the aviation complex here.
CIAC said the DMIA got the “Airport of the Year” award in the category of airports that could serve less than 15 million passengers a year, while Singapore’s Changi got it in the category of those capable of serving over 15 million passengers annually. Luciano received the award during the ceremonies in Singapore.
Luciano said “the citation came at a time when the DMIA has been experiencing an unprecedented growth in aviation-related projects and passenger volume.”
Frost & Sullivan is a leading research company in the world with over 26 global offices with more than 1,500 industry consultants, market research analysts, technology analysts and economists. The company was founded in 1961 and has done research in aerospace and defense, automotive and transportation, chemicals, materials and food, energy and power systems, environmental and building technologies, health care, industrial automation and electronics, and information and communication technologies.
The Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport in Mumbai, India was chosen the “Aeronautical Excellence Airport of the Year” award while Changi Airports International was chosen “Airport Investment Company of the Year.”
The other awardess were Japan Airlines for “Widest Route Coverage of the Year,” Air Asia for “Airline Market Penetration Leadership of the Year” and Singapore Airlines as “Airline of the Year.”
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