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HONG
KONG’S civil aviation authorities did not allow Cebu
Pacific to make charter flights from Clark to the former
British colony, the Philippine Civil Aeronautics Board
(CAB) said over the weekend.
“We were
advised by HKG Civil Aeronautics division that there’s
not enough space in the bilateral agreement. However, HK
Airlines continues to operate to HKG from Clark because
they are covered by EO500-A,” Candice Iyog, Cebu Pacific
vice president for marketing and product, said in a text
message.
CAB
executive director Carmelo Arcilla said the airline unit
of the Gokongwei group sent him a letter asking for the
board’s assistance.
“Hong
Kong’s so-called liberal regime just recently rejected
Cebu Pacific’s application for charter flights from
Clark,” said Arcilla.
Arcilla
said CAB would have to get in touch with the Hong Kong
authorities for more information.
Cebu
Pacific is eyeing Diosdado Macapagal International
Airport (DMIA) in Clark, Pampanga as its third hub after
Manila
and Cebu.
Lance
Gokongwei, Cebu Pacific president and chief executive
officer, said the airline plans to use Clark to fly
daily to Hong Kong, four times a week to Singapore and
Macau, three times a week to Bangkok and Taipei.
“If we
get the necessary approvals from all the governments
concerned, we will make Clark our third base and hub
after Manila and Cebu,” Gokongwei said.
He said
the plan is strategically important to Cebu Pacific.
Making Clark a base for aircraft and a hub for flights
to and from various regional destinations could enhance
Cebu Pacific’s presence in Central Luzon and in the
whole of
Northern Luzon in a major way.
“We hope
to get a favorable response from all other governments
considering that our own government has given their
carriers similar rights to Clark,” Gokongwei said.
Cebu
Pacific expects to carry as many as 300,000 passengers
in and out of Clark per year. It said it is confident of
raising passenger volume as
Clark, being the gateway to the northern corridor, continues to
spur growth in the region.
The DMIA
has been envisioned as the country’s main gateway.
Arcilla said Friday that if foreign airlines are granted
unilateral, outright and unlimited traffic rights to
DMIA, and assuming that DMIA has already become the
country’s main gateway, there is indeed the possibility
that local airlines could be practically shut out of
DMIA.
“This is
because the
Philippines
would be left with no leverage at all to negotiate with
foreign countries for traffic rights to and from DMIA in
favor of local carriers,” he said. |
