There are major plans afoot to regenerate the former Clark air base
A consortium led by UK consultancy Mace has big plans for Clark International Airport, and is embarking on a major construction project to set up an $850million aircraft maintenance and training facility. It recently signed a 25-year lease agreement with the Clark Development Corporation.
Clark is a former US air base, which was vacated in 1991, and is around 80km (50 miles) north of Manila. Clark Air Base was once the largest US military installation outside the USA, and home to the 13th Air Force and 3rd Tactical Fighter Wing. In 1993, two years after the departure of US forces, the vast base was declared a "special economic zone" in a bid to encourage industrial development in the area. The Clark Development Corporation was established to administer the site.
The first phase of the Mace project involves the construction of four 36,000m2 (390,000ft2) hangars over the next two to three years, each of which will have three bays capable of accommodating Boeing 747-400s. Mace Transport International (MTI) managing director Gary Walker says negotiations are under way with several major airframe maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) providers which have an interest in taking over the hangars.
MTI was recently registered in the Philippines as a special-purpose company to act as lead consultant on the project. "We have spoken to anyone who has got business in Asia and operates in the MRO market," says Walker. "The market is there for hangars with the capability for 'C' and 'D' checks."
He declines to name any of the several companies he says have already signed "expressions of interest". However, understood to be on the list are Singapore Technologies Aerospace, FedEx Express and Lufthansa Technik Philippines, among others. Component and aero engine MRO providers are also being targeted. "We are planning a whole series of partnership arrangements with end users," says Walker.
The first phase of development is aimed at establishing the "maintenance operations centre", and would be completed 2-3 years after the start of construction work. Phase two is planned to follow 2-3 years later. It will include pilot and maintenance technician training facilities and more hangars tailored for general aviation and business aircraft maintenance providers, creating a "one-stop shop aviation complex", says Walker. The hangars can be let whole, or in units of one quarter of floor area.
Phase three would feature "more of the same", adds Walker, who does not believe the new facility will struggle to compete in a third-party maintenance market that many believe is already suffering from over-capacity. He says Clark is an attractive venue for the complex thanks to the availability of low-cost but technically qualified and English-speaking labour.
One of the most ambitious projects aiming to use infrastructure left at the former Clark Air Base by the US Air Force in 1991 is the International Flying School (IFS). The idea is the brainchild of Garsol Management Innovators (GMII) president and chief executive Sean Gerard Villoria.
His company has been involved with the Philippines air force for many years, providing maintenance, technical support and upgrades for aircraft including the Bell UH-1H, Fokker F-27, Lockheed Martin C-130 and Rockwell OV-10 Bronco.
The IFS aims to provide smaller air forces - particularly those of Asian countries - with a lower-cost alternative for outsourcing pilot training. Target customers include Japan, Taiwan and Singapore.
Low-cost training
Villoria reckons establishing the IFSin the Clark Special Economic Zone will enable him to offer overseas air forces pilot training at a cost "25-50% lower" than comparable schools such as BAE Systems Australia or the Bombardier-led NATO Flying Training in Canada centre.
"While these [schools] have been able to offer their services to the air forces of a number of European countries as well as to such small nations as Singapore, neither has actually sought to develop an all-encompassing regimen running from primary to advanced military flight training, rotary-aircraft use, search-and-rescue procedure and commercial training for civilian fleets," he says.
Villoria is trying to persuade BAE or Bombardier to take over the initial running of the IFS - but he acknowledges they may be unwilling to help establish a competitor to their own businesses. "If they don't go with us we'll go to someone else," says Villoria.
Preparations for the IFS are gathering pace following the signing of a formal contract with the Clark Development Corporation in January. The Toronto Dominion Bank has subsequently pledged to invest $300 million in the IFS to fund Villoria's 60% stake, while industry partners are being sought to hold the remaining 40%.
GMII is negotiating a memorandumof understanding (MoU) with the Philippines Department of National Defense. The aim is to secure the former USAir Force Crow Valley Gunnery Range, which is adjacent to the proposed IFS site. The 17,800Ha (44,000 acres) Crow Valley would provide 340km3 (81 cubic miles)of "unbeatable" training airspace, says Villoria, who aims to sign an MoU with the ministry by the end of May.
Military trainer aircraft and helicopter manufacturers as well as other suppliers have been invited to a bidders' conference in Manila in late April. Attendees will present their responses to requests for proposals due to be released by GMII by the end of March.
GMII wants to equip the IFS with a squadron each of primary and basic trainers, 12 twin-engined Beech King Airs, up to 26 jet trainers and 20 helicopters. It plans to evaluate the Aermacchi MB339, M-346 and SF260, Beech T-6A, Cessna 172, Embraer Super Tucano, Moravan Zlin Z 242, and Pilatus PC-9 and PC-21. An MoU has already been signed with Pacific Aerospace of New Zealand to acquire CT/4E piston-single primary trainers.
The jet requirement could be met with used Northrop Grumman F-5s sourced from Saudi Arabia, Switzerland or Taiwan. Under consideration for the helicopter requirement are the Bell 206 and UH-1H, but talks with Eurocopter are planned.
The BAE Systems Hawk is not being considered because "we feel it's going to be very expensive," says Villoria.
Longer term, Villoria envisages the IFS possibly acquiring Lockheed Martin F-16s. Another possibility is the purchase of ex-New Zealand air force McDonnell Douglas A-4 Skyhawks to be flown as "enemy" aircraft during training exercises. The aircraft evaluation is being carried out very carefully because "if we fail in our selection it's very difficult to recover," says Villoria.
Talks are meanwhile under way with EADS, ITT, Lockheed Martin and Thales, for the supply of air-traffic control and long-range surveillance radars for the IFS. "We are at an advanced stage of negotiation with ITT," says Villoria. The IFS is due to become operational by the end of the year.
Clark International Airport is increasing in popularity, having attracted several existing and start-up airlines. With its two 3,200m (10,500ft) main runways, Clark could eventually replace Manila's Ninoy Aquino International Airport. But establishing Clark as an international passenger gateway would almost certainly require the construction of a high-speed rail link connecting the airport to the city.
Proposed Philippine new-entrant freight carrier Evercrest is preparing an application to the country's Civil Aeronautics Board for an air operator's certificate and hopes to begin flying from Clark later this year.
Aviation consultant Jaime Matibag, who is helping to establish the carrier on behalf of a group of private investors, says Evercrest plans to operate a fleet of three leased Boeing 737-200 freighters - and will base its operation at Clark.
"We are hoping to fly as soon as possible," says Matibag. "We have already registered the aircraft." Preparatory work is focused the production of flight operations manuals, he says. The first 737 is due to enter service "in a month or two" and will be followed by a second aircraft six weeks after the start of operations.
A third will be added about a month after that, adds Matibag. Evercrest will serve primarily domestic and "some regional" routes transporting tuna fish and other "wet cargo", he says.
United Parcel Service (UPS), meanwhile, has its new Asian hub at Clark. Flights will initially be operated to nine Asian cities, but UPS is also considering several other regional destinations.
Asian hub
UPS is basing three Boeing 757s and one 767 at Clark, and the carrier has also wet-leased an Airbus A300 for a year from Turkey's MNG Airlines. It is using the A300 to link Clark with Hong Kong, a route UPS does not have authority to operate with its own aircraft.
Hong Kong, also a regional hub for UPS, will be connected to Clark using the MNG aircraft on what is expected to be the busiest route from the new hub. Shanghai, which UPS will serve with a 757 via Beijing, is expected to be the second largest market served from Clark.
Other services will be to Tokyo Narita, following the opening of its second runway, with a continuation to Osaka Kansai.
Taiwan and Singapore, both of which also act as UPS regional hubs, are expected to generate roughly equal traffic and will also be served from Clark, as will Seoul in South Korea.
Source: Flight International
