News
Philippines on growth spurt
January 8th 2016
The outlook for Philippines commercial aviation in 2016 is positive as local and foreign carriers signal their intentions to expand after last year’s renewal and expansion of air service agreements with the UAE, South Korea, Russia and Australia. (See Emirates launches to Cebu and Clark airports). Read More » Local carriers, Philippine Airlines (PAL) and Cebu Pacific Air, are continuing to focus on the Middle East. PAL will launch services to Kuwait and Jeddah this month, despite the heightened political tension in the region. “PAL flights for Kuwait and Jeddah are slated green and to go. The Middle East expansion continues. Kuwait flights commence on January 17 and Jeddah flights two days later,” PAL spokesperson, Cielo Villaluna, told local news outlet Inquirer.net. PAL serves Dubai, Riyadh, Dammam and Abu Dhabi.
Alex Reyes, who heads Cebu Pacific’s long-haul division, said their passenger loads to the Middle East, where it flies to Dubai, Kuwait, Doha and Riyadh “remained healthy”. He said the LCC was interested in adding flights to the region to cater for growing travel demand from Filipinos based in the Middle East. .
The CAPA consultancy has reported Cebu Pacific is likely to launch flights to Honolulu, Guam and Melbourne later this year as its long-haul business matures and becomes profitable, boosting its already healthy balance sheet.
Philippines Civil Aeronautics Board executive director, Carmelo Arcilla, told the Inquirer his agency was considering holding air talks with India and Indonesia in early 2016 as both countries had large populations that made them attractive for tourism and trade expansion.
In Cebu, Mactan International Airport and the Visayas region are expected to receive a boost beyond the recent Emirates announcement. PAL will start a thrice-weekly B777-300ER service to Los Angeles from March 16 and EVA Air will add a four-weekly A321 link to Taipei from March 27.
In 2014, Mactan was the 14th largest airport in Southeast Asia, based on passenger traffic, and is expected to move to 11th or 12th in 2015 after it processed 6.5 million passengers in the first ten months of 2015, a 13.4% expansion over the same period in 2014, the Manila Times said. Mactan expects this number to have reached nearly eight million to December 31, 2015.
