Gov’t urged to act on airlines’ requests to fly to PH

The Philippine Travel Agencies Association (PTAA) and the Federation of Tourism Industries of the Philippines (FTIP) on Thursday urged the government to formulate a comprehensive plan to handle flight requests from international airlines, so as not to drive away prospective carriers.

The two industry groups issued the statement following reports that the Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB) denied earlier this week the request of both India’s Jet Airways and Oman Airways to have regular flights to Manila.

“Having a strong Philippine tourism campaign requires the support of other government agencies and needs a singular voice on that same plan. We cannot give the international community mixed signals when we push hard to open a door and yet have that door shut again,” said PTAA president John Paul Cabalza.

Cabalza explained that the influx of request for permits to have regular flights into the country’s major gateways should already be expected, following the scrapping of the common carriers tax earlier this year.

According to Cabalza, the two airlines serve large markets, which the Philippines can tap.

With the country already making headway in the Indian market, the move to deny the request of the Jet Airways is “very much untimely,” he added.

Jet Airways is the second largest carrier in India with 21 international destinations across Asia, Europe and North America. It also has code sharing agreements with 11 large international airlines.

Oman Airways, meanwhile, has flights to 19 international destinations and code sharing agreements with three international airlines.

As of end-April this year, Indian tourist arrivals grew 23 percent compared to the same period last year, the groups said in the statement.

Meanwhile, interim FTIP president Aileen Clemente noted that “more than just addressing the flight congestion challenges of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport, we want the government in general to map out and address connectivity, tourism growth, and capacity build-up across the country.”

“The government together with the industry players should demonstrate the ability to sustain growth not just in the tourism industry but in the country’s economy in general. Having a strategic and extensive connectivity and network is vital to the country’s continued economic growth,” Clemente added.

Cabalza and Clemente also said that the government and the CAB in particular should come out with a common program to maximize and develop the capabilities and infrastructure of airports, including the potential redirection of international flights coming to Manila to other airports in the country.