By Ma. Stella F. Arnaldo / Special to the BusinessMirror
SKYJET Airlines starts flying to Siargao today (Wednesday) with a fully loaded plane of select officials of the Duterte administration eager to check out the surfing capital of the Philippines.
In an interview with the BusinessMirror, SkyJet COO Joaquin Po said the carrier is eager to expand its routes and increase in-flight frequencies, especially since its third plane, a British Aerospace 146-200 jet, has arrived.
“We will be adding Siargao to our routes; it’s a destination that has attracted an increasing number of tourists, especially now that it has attained a global reputation for its surf sites,” he said.
Surigao del Norte posted a 19.3-percent increase in visitor arrivals to 145,950 in 2015, according to data from the Department of Tourism (DOT), due to the influx of foreign and local tourists traveling to Siargao. The resort island is home to Cloud 9, the most popular surfing spot in the Philippines. World competitions are held in Siargao annually, as major surfing heavyweights troop to the island and ride out Cloud 9’s waves.
The flights to Siargao are four times—every Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday. The flights depart Manila at 6 am and arrive at the Sayak Airport at 7:40 am. The flights leave Siargao at 8:10 am and arrive in Manila at 9:50 am. The base fare for the Siargao route, which officially begins on February 24, is about P4,277 per person, one way.
Before SkyJet, only Cebu Pacific Airways offered direct flights to Siargao but via Cebu, a costly option, especially for those coming from Manila. Major carriers also fly directly from Manila to Surigao City, temporarily suspended, however, due to the closure of the city airport, which was damaged by the recent earthquake. Tourists then take a 15-minute jeepney or tricycle ride to the pier, before embarking on a three-hour ferry ride to Siargao island, north of the city.
Wednesday’s trip to Siargao will carry Transportation Secretary Arthur P. Tugade, Tourism Secretary Wanda Corazon T. Teo and other members of the Cabinet and government executives for the formal launch of the boutique airline’s new route.
SkyJet, which is owned by the Tieng family’s Solar Group, also flies to Basco, Batanes, daily, except Tuesday to Boracay (Caticlan) twice a day, everyday; and to Coron, daily, three times a day.
Po also observed the growing demand for flights to Coron, as more local and Filipino tourists discover the destination’s multifaceted offerings. He said, though the current congested air-traffic situation at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport prevents SkyJet and other carriers from expanding their routes or frequencies, “We’d like to increase our flights to Coron to five times a day, for instance, but because of the air-traffic congestion at the Naia, we’re limited to three flights a day.”
SkyJet also hopes to increase its frequencies to Siargao to daily flights, he added. The carrier has three planes—two BaE 146-100 jets and one BaE 146-200.