The Philippines and Ethiopia on late Wednesday struck an air-services agreement (ASA) that allows the mutual exchange of air traffic rights between the two nations.
Air-services regulators from both sides concluded their two-day negotiations for commercial flight entitlements on October 8 in Manila, Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB) Executive Director Carmelo L. Arcilla said.
“This is landmark event because there was no ASA between the two countries prior to this. The agreement allows for seven flights per week between Manila and Ethiopia and unlimited flights between Ethiopia, and other airports in the Philippines, except Manila,” he said in a text message.
The agreement also allows intermediate stops in Singapore, Bangkok, Ho Chi Minh, India and the Middle East.
Arcilla said the negotiations were initiated by Ethiopia, in response to its flag carrier’s aggressive expansion in Asia.
Ethiopian Airlines now operates to Hong Kong, Beijing, Guangzhou, Shanghai, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur and Seoul.
“Although the current traffic between the Philippines and Ethiopia is small, the ASA 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,” the regulator said.
He added: “The agreement therefore offers opportunities for the enhancement of our air connectivity and the development of our aviation network, especially that Africa is an emerging market and growth area.”
Next week the Philippine air panel will meet with its Cantonese counterparts to modernize their air-services agreement.
The country’s air-services regulator is pursuing the meeting with Hong Kong on October 14 and 15, as demand for flights to the Chinese territory is high.
Aside from initializing air operations across countries, the agency also aims to improve the situation of passenger traffic by increasing seat entitlements.
As part of its drive to expand air traffic rights, the regulator would pursue air-services negotiations other countries within the next few months.
The country’s air-services regulator has so far conducted negotiations with eight nations, including Ethiopia, yielding additional flights that would facilitate richer trade and tourism. It bagged additional entitlements from South Africa, Macau, Canada, Myanmar, New Zealand, Singapore and France.
The government aims to generate $4.6 billion in tourism revenues by the end of the Aquino administration. It also aims to attract 6 million tourists and create 3 million jobs by 2016. This would allow the sector to contribute 6.35 percent to gross domestic product.