Pampanga’s own Clark International Airport has been recognized as one of the six best airports on the planet for arriving passengers — the only Philippine airport and the only airport in Southeast Asia to earn the distinction this year.
The Mabalacat-based gateway received the Best Airports at Arrivals Globally award at the 2025 Airport Service Quality (ASQ) Customer Experience Awards, presented by Airports Council International (ACI) World — the body that represents airports across the globe.
Clark joins just five other airports worldwide in the category: Bahrain International Airport, Kempegowda International Airport in Bengaluru, India, Mangaluru International Airport, Chaudhary Charan Singh International Airport in Lucknow, and Rajiv Gandhi International Airport.
The award was announced on February 24, 2026.
Clark Airport: Clean and efficient
The ASQ program is the world’s only real-time global benchmark that measures passenger satisfaction while travelers are still inside the airport. In 2025, nearly 707,000 passengers worldwide were surveyed across all operating hours, days, and months using standardized scientific methods.
Clark scored in the top 20 percent of all airports surveyed globally at arrival — covering the moment passengers land, clear immigration, collect baggage, and exit the terminal.
Surveyors flagged four specific strengths at Clark: clean and well-ventilated facilities, efficient arrival processes, courteous frontline staff, and fast border and passport control clearance.
A milestone
Noel Manankil, President and CEO of Luzon International Premiere Airport Development Corp (LIPAD) — the operator of Clark International Airport — called the recognition a milestone for both the airport and the country.
“To be named among the world’s Best Airports at Arrivals is a proud moment for Clark International Airport and for the Philippines,” Manankil said. “This recognition reflects the hard work of our team and partners who ensure that every passenger is welcomed with efficiency, comfort, and genuine Filipino hospitality.”
Manankil added that the airport remains focused on sustaining that standard as global passenger volumes continue to rise.
ACI World Director General Justin Erbacci, in announcing the awards, noted that airports worldwide are being tested by surging traffic — and that Clark’s recognition is evidence that passenger satisfaction can still improve under pressure.
2.75M passengers
The award comes as Clark International Airport posts its strongest passenger numbers yet. The airport handled over 2.75 million passengers in 2025, up from 2.4 million the year before — a 15 percent jump driven by new domestic routes and recovering international traffic.
Global air travel is projected to hit 9.8 billion passengers in 2025 and climb further to 10.2 billion in 2026. For Clark, growing traffic without sacrificing the quality of the arrival experience is exactly the challenge this award says it is meeting.
This is not the first time Clark has caught the world’s attention. In 2023, the airport was named one of the most beautiful airports in the world by Prix Versailles, a global architecture award presented under the patronage of UNESCO.
The formal 2025 ASQ Customer Experience Awards ceremony will be held at the ACI World Airport Experience Summit in Istanbul, Türkiye, from August 31 to September 4, 2026, where 100 airports worldwide will be recognized across 195 award categories.
Less congested alternative to NAIA
For Kapampangans and Central Luzon residents who fly regularly, the award affirms what many regular Clark users already experience: a smaller, less congested alternative to NAIA that is increasingly competitive on service quality.
For travelers choosing between Clark and Manila’s main airport, the world-class arrivals recognition adds a measurable, internationally verified reason to consider the Pampanga gateway — particularly for international arrivals where immigration processing speed and terminal comfort matter most.
Clark International Airport (CRK) is located inside Clark Freeport Zone in Mabalacat City, Pampanga. It is managed and operated by Luzon International Premiere Airport Development Corp (LIPAD). For flight information, visit clarkinternationalairport.com.
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