Reporter

AIR Philippines Corp., the budget airline of Lucio Tan, has ordered three Bombardier Q300 turbo-prop aircraft with a list price of $56 million.

The company also went for an option to acquire three more 50-seater units from the Toronto, Canada-based Bombardier Aerospace.

The new units will serve Air Philippines’ expanded route network, including the new Caticlan route, the nearest airport to world famous travel destination Boracay Island.

The first Q300, scheduled for delivery in November 2007, will inaugurate the Manila-Caticlan route for Air Philippines.

Deliveries of the other two aircraft will be in the first quarter of 2008, while the option orders, should Air Philippines exercise its rights, are due after 2008.

“The addition of the Q300 to the Air Philippines fleet underpins our route expansion program,” said Edilberto Medina, president and chief executive officer of Air Philippines.

He added: “It enables us to open new routes suited to modern turbo-prop service and allows us to augment our Cebu hub operation, thereby ramping up our overall domestic operations.”

From a macro perspective, the Caticlan service line ideally complements the regional charter operations of the Air Philippines and the international operations of partner carrier Philippine Airlines (PAL), in which traffic between Caticlan and overseas points are able to seamlessly connect both ways.

“It is always tremendously exciting to welcome a new customer to the Bombardier family,” said Steven Ridolfi, president of Bombardier Regional Aircraft.

“The Q300 offers a pleasing and comfortable passenger cabin, a wide range of operating capabilities and efficient operating costs. We are confident it will do an excellent job for Air Philippines,” Ridolfi added.

Air Philippines currently operates on eight Boeing 737-200 jet aircraft, serving a network of 12 points in the Philippines from hubs in Manila and Cebu. It also operates regular charter flights to points in Korea.

Manufactured by Bombardier since 1996, the Q300 is part of the popular “Q Series” of turbo-prop. Q stands for quiet as a result of installed noise and vibration suspension system designed to reduce cabin noise and vibration levels to nearly those of jet planes.

The aircraft is equipped with two Pratt & Whitney Canada PW 123B turbo-prop engines. It land and take-off even on unprepared airstrips, making the Q300 an ideal choice for Air Philippines’ service to Caticlan and other small provincial airfields.

Air Philippines is 99-percent owned by the Lucio Tan Group. PAL is 95-percent owned by Tan.

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AIR Philippines Corp., the budget airline of Lucio Tan, has ordered three Bombardier Q300 turbo-prop aircraft with a list price of $56 million.

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