Vol. XXI, No. 161 [ Business World Online ]
Monday, March 17, 2008 | MANILA, PHILIPPINES
CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY — Cebu Pacific Air is increasing flights from this city to Cebu to five times weekly from three, noting huge demand in Mindanao’s second busiest airport.
"We added more flights to the Cagayan-Cebu air route because of the increasing number of passengers," said spokesman Romulo Gregorio T. Orense.
Cagayan de Oro City serves roughly a dozen flights arriving daily.
This city’s airport served about half a million passengers in 2005 based on data from the National Statistical Coordination Board. Air Transportation Office data in 2006 showed a 15% increase in incoming and outgoing passengers recorded at this city’s Lumbia airport.
The city’ airline passenger traffic is expected to increase significantly by 2011 when the new international airport in nearby Laguindingan town is completed.
Mr. Orense told reporters the Gokongwei-led budget airline will hire more employees in preparation for its third hub in Davao City this May. The company also expects to serve seven million passengers this year.
Mr. Orense did not specify, however, how many jobs its Davao hub will create when it becomes fully operational in the middle of the year.
To operate a hub, the company will have to put a resident aircraft which also needs staff. "We will have a resident 179-seater Airbus stationed in Davao," said Mr. Orense.
Based on government data, Davao’s international airport was the second busiest airport outside of Metro Manila after Mactan-Cebu. In 2005, Davao served 1.3 million passengers.
Data also showed that passenger volume has increased by 41.6% since 2001, while the international airport experienced a 22.6% decrease in volume from 2002 to 2003.
Mr. Orense said that the Davao hub will initially serve domestic air routes to Iloilo and direct flights to Hong Kong and Singapore.
Cebu Pacific is targeting to fly seven million passengers this year after adding 10 more brand-new aircraft. "We experienced an increase in passengers from 3.4 million to 5.5 million last year," said Mr. Orense.
He said that the company expects to bring in more tourists with "adventure packages" in partnership with the Tourism department.
In an earlier interview, Davao City-based Domingo T. Duerme, senior assistant vice-president of Philippine Airlines, said the Lucio Tan-led carrier is keeping up with the competition and is also expanding its Mindanao operation this year. — G.P. Alba
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