Tuesday, June 24, 2008 [ www.manilatimes.net ]
THE National Association of Independent Travel Agencies (Naitas) alleged that corruption is the main reason as to why lobby groups continue to push for the “extreme and one-sided” open skies at the Diosdado Macapagal International Airport in Clark, Pampanga, despite its detrimental effect on local airlines.
“May open skies na sa Clark pero ang gusto pa ng mga lobby groups ay wala ng regulasyon at i-surrender ang karapatan nating mga Pilipino sa mga dayuhan [Open skies has been adopted in Clark but what these lobby groups want is to do without regulation and for us to surrender our rights as Filipinos to foreigners],” said Robert Lim Joseph, chairman emeritus of Naitas.
He stressed that they are not against open skies but what they are opposing is an unfair open skies policy that favors the operation of foreign carriers.
“Kurapsyon ang dahilan kung bakit tinutulak nila ang hindi patas na open skies sa Clark na pabor lang sa dayuhang airlines [Corruption is principally the reason behind their earnest push for the open skies policy at Clark that favors foreign airlines],” he said.
Joseph said, “It’s only fairness and equal opportunity for local carriers to compete with foreign airlines that we are asking from government.”
He said a pocket open skies is already in effect in Clark, but foreign carriers are still demanding for fifth freedom rights or the right to fly to a third country.
Fifth freedom rights would enable, say, Singapore Airlines to fly from Singapore to Clark, and onward from Clark to Los Angeles and back to Clark then to Singapore.
This would enable a foreign airline, he said, to eat into the market of Philippine carriers but without the latter getting comparable privileges from the foreign carrier’s government.
Joseph added that it is the vested interest groups, a number of whom shall be the general sales agents of foreign airlines who will benefit from further opening up Clark to foreign carriers.
“Malaki ang kikitain na komisyon ng mga general sales agents sa mga dayuhang airlines. Pero kawawa ang ating mga kababayang negosyante [These general sales agents of foreign airlines stand to benefit from this open skies arrangement to the detriment of local businessmen],” he said.
He said while foreign airlines would think only of operating to be viable, local carriers must not only be viable and also be promoting tourism, protecting the national interest and security and advancing pride of country, among others.
“If these foreign airlines discover that there is no market or there are no passengers on the route they will abandon this open skies arrangement without hesitation as what the European carriers have done,” he said.
He said if there is really demand on the route, these foreign and local airlines can just mount charter flights to service passengers.
Joseph also called as untrue the lobby groups’ claim that there is a shortage of 10,000 airline seats and overseas Filipino workers are being made to wait for available seats. -- Francis Earl A. Cueto
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