Hong Kong’s Metrojet to build $25-M regional hub in Clark

Metrojet executives and BCDA and local officials break ground on the company's planned $25-million aviation parking and maintenance facility in Clark, Pampanga on March 6, 2019. Photo: Jon Viktor D. Cabuenas

CLARK, Pampanga — Hong Kong-based Metrojet Limited on Wednesday unveiled plans to invest at least $25 million for its aviation parking and maintenance facility here, which it plans to turn into a regional hub in the Asian region.

In an interview with reporters on the sidelines of the groundbreaking for the facility, Metrojet CEO Gary Dolski said the multimillion-dollar facility is expected to be operational by the second quarter of 2020.

"We're looking at around 25 million US dollars just for the facility and then obviously, there's gonna be the ancillary growth that will happen in the continued operations, capital investment that will have to continue year in and year out," he explained.

The 26,000 square-meter will have over 7,100 square meters of hangar floor space, which can accommodate up to 10 long-range business jets such as the Boeing Business Jet and the Airbus Corporate Jet.

It will also include over 2,500 square meters of customer accommodation and storage, fixed-base operator capability and engineering support workshops, and materials warehousing.

The facility will likewise house a parking ramp of 11,000 square meters which will provide private aircraft parking, maintenance, and other services.

"We have a 50-year lease here so it's a very long-term perspective that we give... Our view of Metrojet is that this will be our hub of business aviation in the region," said Dolski.

"This will be our largest facility where we will do our base maintenance. Currently, Hong Kong—where we were based many years—has a congested airport, similar to the problems in Manila, which is why we are doing something here," he elaborated. — BM, GMA News