The Philippines and Ethiopia have signed an air services agreement last week, according to Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB) chief Atty Carmelo Arcilla.
The agreement allows for seven flights per week between Manila and Ethiopia and unlimited flights between Ethiopia and other airports in the Philippines other than Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA). It also covers intermediate stops in Singapore, Bangkok, Ho Chi Minh, India, and the Middle East.
Arcilla said it was Ethiopia that sought the signing of an air agreement in line with its efforts to expand in Asia.
Flag carrier Ethiopian Airlines already has flights to Hong Kong, Beijing, Guangzhou, Shanghai, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, and Seoul.
Despite “small” traffic between the Philippines and Ethiopia, Arcilla said the air agreement “can open up new connectivities between the Philippines and Africa, including the Middle East, given Ethiopia’s location in North East Africa and its being an aviation hub in that region that serves as a transit point for passengers from other African countries and the Middle East.”
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