CIAC President-CEO Emigdio Tanjuatco III said he also held the view of the two Filipino- owned airlines that the mere holding of air talks between the Philippines and the United Arab Emirates was in itself “already detrimental to the country’s aviation industry.”
He urged Emirates to opt instead for reestablishing regular flights between Clark and Dubai.
Tanjuatco said “CIAC fully supports the position of Philippine Airlines and Cebu Pacific opposing the granting of additional seat entitlements to Emirates in Manila and that the air talks should no longer be held.”
Tanjuatco, however, said should the air talks proceed, “the Philippine Air Panel should appeal to UAE carriers to consider putting up flights in airports outside Metro Manila, particularly at the Clark International Airport in Pampanga.”
“We are happy that both PAL and Cebu Pacific have that position.Hopefully, the Philippine Air Panel will take into consideration the position of the local carriers,” Tanjuatco said.
The Philippine Air Panel is scheduled to hold air talks with UAE on August 27 and 28 when Emirates is expected to petition for more seat entitlements at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA).
In a joint statement on August 25, PAL and Cebu Pacific urged “the Philippine Government to resist any and all pressure to grant unfair disadvantage to the airlines of the UAE in the form of unjustified and unnecessary disruptive additional rights to serve Manila.”
The two Philippine carriers “challenged UAE and other Middle Eastern airlines to put up direct flights to emerging new gateways in Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao. “
Emirates Airlines earlier had daily flights between Clark airport and Dubai until it pulled out in 2013, decreasing passengers at the airport here.
Air Asia Philippines also pulled out from the Clark in the same year. Gilda Padua, president of the Greater Clark Visitors Bureau (GCVB), said her group supports the move of both PAL and Cebu Pacific and urged Emirates to consider instead airports outside Metro Manila to decongest NAIA.
She stressed the Clark airport has facilities ready to cater to the needs of Middle East carriers and Emirates “should consider going back to Clark.”
At the same time, Department of Tourism-Central Luzon Director Ronaldo Tiotuico said he also was in favor of Emirates opting for more flights in the provinces.
