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SOUTHEAST Asian Airlines (Seair) may fly to Bangkok,
Incheon and Taipei as soon as plans to mount flights to
Singapore and
Macau push through, possibly early next year.
“When we
start servicing
Singapore
and Macau, we will look at the possibility of extending
our international operations to Bangkok, Taipei and
Incheon. We will decide on additional routes six months
after our Singapore and Macau plans take off,” said
Seair president Avelino Zapanta.
Seair’s
maiden flights to
Singapore
and Macau will depend on whether the Civil Aeronautics
Board (CAB) will approve the lease purchase agreement it
signed with Airbus in January this year.
Zapanta
said Seair will be using two new Airbus A320 planes to
service new foreign and local destinations, including
Singapore and Macau. However, the CAB has yet to grant
Seair’s request because Philippine Airlines, Cebu
Pacific, Air Philippines and Asian Spirit are opposed to
the proposal.
Seair is
also looking at mounting flights to
Cebu, Davao ,
Okinawa and
Taiwan from Clark. “Singapore and Macau are our
immediate flying points. We intend to use the A320s to
fly there hopefully anytime soon. We hope the CAB could
grant our request so that we can push through with our
plans as early as next year,” said Zapanta.
Seair is
now following up on its request with the CAB. Zapanta
said Seair recently wrote the board to ask the status of
its request. “We sent a follow-up a letter to appraise
us of what has happened to our request.”
Zapanta
said the other carriers are ganging up on Seair.
“They
have this fertile imagination that Seair is fronting for
Tiger Air just because we have a code-sharing
arrangement with them. And the CAB is giving credence to
their speculation which is never a basis for disapproval
from the CAB. There has got to be evidence instead of
false accusations,” said Zapanta.
Seair
has a code-share agreement with Singapore budget carrier
Tiger Airways so that it can fly to destinations not yet
covered by its route network and boost its regional
market presence.
The
airlines opposing to Seair’s expansion binge fear that
Tiger Airway’s presence to mount flights to Clark will
be increased despite an executive order issued by
President Arroyo early this year that restricts fifth
freedom rights.
With
fifth freedom rights, carriers from other countries can
transport passengers to a second country, and from that
country to a third country.
“They
are saying that because we have a business relationship
with Tiger Air, the airline from
Singapore
will take advantage of that agreement. We are not
fronting for Tiger Air,” said Zapanta.
Until
the CAB is able to resolve the issue, Seair’s expansion
plan is on hold.
“Normally, the CAB approves any airlines’ plan to
purchase new and additional aircrafts. Ours, however, is
unprecedented. |
