AirAsia Philippines, the local arm of Malaysian low-cost carrier (LCC) AirAsia, is requesting for additional seat entitlements to South Korea that were previously allocated to PAL Express.
In an application to the Civil Aeronautics Board, Air Asia seeks the reallocation of 3,000 seat entitlements that have been granted to PAL Express, as well as its designation as a flag carrier to South Korea.
The application comes in the wake of the recently concluded air talks between the Philippines and South Korea on April 3 this year. Under the amended air services agreement, seat entitlements were increased to 28,500 seats per week from 19,000 per week to all points in the Philippines from South Korea.
Flag carrier Philippine Airlines, Cebu Pacific Air, and Zest Airways are currently the local carriers flying to South Korea, while foreign carriers Asian Airlines, Air Busan, Korean Air, and Jin Air fly to the Philippines.
Philippines’ AirAsia, which is 40% owned by Malaysia’s AirAsia through AA International, has a fleet of 19 aircraft.
Meanwhile, the budget carrier’s sister airline AirAsia Zest is eyeing operations in the Brunei-Indonesia-Malaysia-Philippines-East ASEAN Growth Area (BIMP-EAGA) by 2016, starting with services between Davao in the southern Philippines and Kota Kinabalu in Malaysia.
AirAsia Zest chief executive officer Joy Cañeba said the airline is looking at Francisco Bangoy International Airport in Davao as its hub for the BIMP-EAGA operations, even as it is planning “more routes in the future because of the incentives offered by the government.”
AirAsia Zest recently launched its newest routes from Cebu to Davao and Cagayan de Oro, and is evaluating its Davao-Kalibo operations.
AirAsia used to operate Manila-Davao flights but discontinued the service “as it was not feasible during that time,” said Cañeba.
Image courtesy of Ohmega1982 at FreeDigitalPhotos.net
