South Korea air agreement to expand capacity on flights to and from Manila
THE Philippines and South Korea have agreed to increase capacity between Manila and South Korean airports, and unlimited rights for carriers operating between South Korea and airports outside Manila.
The air talks, held in Seoul, produced a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on Nov. 8. The MoU increases air traff ic entitlements between Manila and all South Korean destinations, to 20,000 seats weekly for each country, from the current 13,500.
“It means that all airlines of the Philippines authorized to operate between Manila and all international airports in Korea can utilize a combined total of 20,000 seats per week. The same number of 20,000 seats per week is also available for all the Korean carriers authorized to operate between Manila and all international airports in Korea,” Civil Aeronautics Board Executive Director Carmelo L. Arcilla said in a text message.
Mr. Arcilla said that airlines may apply for seats, and the regulators will consolidate the requests and conduct hearings before finalizing seat allocations.
The increase in air traffic entitlements is aimed to meet the increased demand for air travel between the two countries.
The Department of Tourism said that in the first half, South Korea was the Philippines’ top source of visitors, with 795,085 arrivals or 23.68% of the total.
Airlines that fly between the two countries are Philippine Airlines (a unit of PAL Holdings, Inc.); its subsidiary PAL Express; Cebu Pacific ( a unit of Cebu Air, Inc.); Philippines AirAsia (a unit of Philippines AirAsia, Inc.); charter operator Pan Pacific Airlines; Korean Air, Asiana Airlines, Jin Air, Jeju Air, and Air Busan.
The new MoU also provides for unlimited traffic rights for carriers of both countries between all Philippine destinations outside Manila and all international airports in South Korea, which Mr. Arcilla said is “in line with Philippine government policy to develop airports outside Manila and spur the economic development of new tourism, trade and economic centers outside Manila.” —