President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo ordered the development of the Diosdado Macapagal International Airport (DMIA) at the Clark Freeport Zone in Pampanga as the country’s premier airport and to prepare the eventual closing of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport I.

The directive was issued to the Department of Transportation and Communications who will lead in the implementation of the project. The project is given a timeframe of six months to one year to finish. The directive is in line with the President's vision of making Clark and Subic the country’s logistics hub in the Asia-Pacific region and the new international gateways of the country.

The Diosdado Macapagal International Airport is one of the biggest aviation centers in Asia. The complex has two 3.2-kilometer parallel runways which will be extended to four kilometers to accommodate new generation wide-bodied aircraft. The complex is certified by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) with ratings of Category I for Precision Approach Runway and Category IX for the Emergency Services. It is also has complete Instrument Landing System, Navigational Aids, Meteorological Equipment and Complete Airfield Lighting System.