MANILA – Philippine Airlines (PAL) has bagged the 14 flights a week to and from Manila and Haneda Airport in Japan by default.
CAB executive director Carmelo Arcilla told InterAksyon.com that the regulator rejected the separate applications lodged by Cebu Pacific and PAL Express because as budget airlines, both carriers don’t offer business class.
The government of the Philippines and Japan last month agreed to an increase in flights between the two countries to 400 per week from the existing air service agreement’s 119 flights between Manila and Narita. The two countries also agreed to open 14 flights per week between Manila and Haneda, as well as unlimited flights between airports outside Manila and Haneda.
Arcilla said the Japanese government “clearly indicated” that the Haneda market is for corporate and business travel, and not for leisure.
He said corporate or business travel requires amenities, facilities and connection of flights, adding that only PAL offers business class.
Cebu Pacific had applied for seven flights per week, while PAL Express was asking for the entire 14 flights.
At present, PAL controls 43 percent of total seat capacity in the Philippine-Japan market and flies to and from Nagoya, Osaka, Fukuoka and Tokyo. Cebu Pacific has less than three percent, operating three weekly flights to Osaka.
Data from the Department of Tourism showed that visitors from Japan totaled 412,000.
Besides the Haneda flights, CAB approved other applications of Philippine carriers as follows:
PAL
– Manila to Narita vice versa – (14 flights per week)
PAL Express
Manila to Narita vice versa (14 flights per week
Cebu to Narita vice versa (seven flights per week)
Cebu Pacific
Manila to Narita vice versa (14 flights per week)
Manila to Nagoya vice versa (three flights per week)
Manila to Fukuoka vice versa (seven flights per week)
Cebu to Narita vice versa (seven flights per week)
Cebu to Kansai vice versa (seven flights per week)
Cebu to Nagoya vice versa (seven flights per week)
Manila to Hiroshima vice versa (seven flights per week)
Manila to Sapporo vice versa (seven flights per week)
Manla to Okinawa vice versa (seven flights per week)
Manila to Ibaraki vice versa (seven flights per week )
Zest Airways
Manila to Narita vice versa (seven flights per week )
Manila to Osaka vice versa (seven fligts per week)
Manila to Nagoya vice versa (seven flights per week)
Kalibo to Nagoya vice versa (three flights per week)
Kalibo to Osaka vice versa (four flights per week )
Cebu to Osaka vice versa (four flights per week )
Tigerair Philippines
Manila to Narita vice versa (14 flights per week)
Manila to Osaka vice versa (seven flights per week)
Clark to Narita vice versa (seven flights per week)
Clark to Osaka vice versa (seven flights per week)
Cebu to Narita vice versa (14 flights per week)
Kalibo to Narita vice versa (seven flights per week)
Air Asia Philippines
Manila to Narita vice versa (seven flights per week)
Manila to Osaka vice versa (seven flights per week)
Manila to Nagoya vice versa (seven flights per week)
Kalibo to Nagoya vice versa (three flights per week )
Kalibo to Osaka vice versa (four flights per week)
Cebu to Osaka vice versa four flights per week