SOUTHEAST Asian Airlines, Inc. (SEAir) has asked the Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB) for a permit and seat allocations for flights to Papua New Guinea, a letter by the carrier to the regulator showed.
“Southeast Asian Airlines intends to further expand its international network to include other destination in Asia and the Pacific, including routes with excellent growth potential such as the Philippines and Papua New Guinea,” said Leonardo Vinz O. Ignacio, the company’s vice-president for legal, in a letter to CAB Executive Director Carmelo A. Arcilla dated Sept. 27.
SEAir said it planned to offer flights to Port Moresby from Manila, Clark and Cebu.
“SEAir is fit, willing and able to operate international scheduled transportation services to Papua New Guinea and utilize the designation and entitlements to Papua New Guinea for the following routes: Manila-Port Moresby vice-versa, Clark-Port Moresby vice-versa, and Cebu Port Moresby vice-versa,” the company said.
SEAir asked for 1,800 seats per week each for the three routes it cited, the letter showed.
In its letter, the company said allowing it to mount flights to Papua New Guinea will boost the country’s tourism sector and general economy.
“The designation of SEAir as official Philippine carrier to Papua New Guinea shall provide much-needed access to and from the Philippines and Papua New Guinea that will enhance further growth and development of our business, tourism sectors, and our economy, as well as promote and enhance public convenience and necessity,” SEAir’s letter read.
Local airlines that have been allowed to fly to Papua New Guinea are Philippine Airlines, AirPhil Express (to be renamed PAL Express), Cebu Pacific and Zest Air, CAB records showed.
Last August, Singaporean carrier Tiger Airways Holdings Ltd. completed the acquisition of 40% in SEAir for $2.5 million. SEAir Chief Executive Patrick T. Tan said last June that the foreign carrier’s investment in his company will help the latter’s domestic and regional expansion.
For this year, the airline is looking to double its full-year combined domestic and international passenger traffic to 335,000, the company’s president, Avelino L. Zapanta, said that month. SEAir’s international passenger volume grew by 47% to 132,710 in the first half from 90,280 in the same six months last year. The company’s domestic traffic, meanwhile, plunged 82% to 17,565 from 97,326 in the same comparative periods. These brought its total passenger volume to 150,275 from January to June, down by 19.9% from 187,606 it flew last year.
-- CHCV
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