Pal Express to Serve 22 Inter-Island Routes in Philippines

CATICLAN, Philippines, May 6 Asia Pulse - Hectic but exciting. This was the feeling of the media that went to Caticlan for the maiden flight of PAL Express Monday. We boarded the plane from the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) 2 at exactly 9:10 am and arrived Caticlan at around 10:12 am.

PAL Express, the new, low-fare brand of Philippine Airlines (PAL), the national flag carrier, will serve 22 inter-island routes at the outset, including some provincial points currently without air service or underserved by other players.

Jaime J. Bautista, PAL president, during the inaugural flight, said that with PAL Express, the company is reassuming its traditional mandate of providing quality, affordable air service to outlying communities. Such air link has historically acted as a spur for the development of these areas. Bautista said, "PAL Express also allows PAL to offer a low-fare yet high-value alternative in many trunkline and tourist routes such as here in Caticlan."

Other PAL executives onboard the maiden flight were deputy chief executive officer Henry So Uy and assistant vice president for sales Antonio Herrera. On hand to welcome the PAL delegation were Aklan vice-governor Gabrielle Calizo; members of the travel trade; and representatives from the local media.

Caticlan, gateway to the resort island of Boracay, is the first destination of PAL Express, which will operate 12 flights daily from Manila starting today. Brand-new, 50-seater Bombardier Q300 turbo-propeller aircraft are deployed on the high-traffic route. PAL Express will dramatically expand its network over the next two months, with service scheduled to be launched on 22 routes. Thirteen of those new routes emanate from PAL Express main hub of Cebu, where operations start May 19 with services to five points Caticlan, Bacolod, Tacloban, Butuan and General Santos.

On the same day, a daily flight between Manila and Busuanga in northern Palawan will also commence. On May 26, three more services will operate out of Cebu: Davao, with thrice-daily flights; Iloilo, twice daily; and Puerto Princesa, a single flight everyday. Bautista said that on June 23, four new destinations will be served from Cebu Dipolog, Ozamiz, Cagayan de Oro and Zamboanga, with the last service proceeding onward to Davao and back rounding out the Cebu hub network for now.

On the other hand, PAL Express's other hub in Manila will add several new routes in July: Surigao, Legazpi, Virac and Cauayan (Isabela) on July 21, and San Jose (Occidental Mindoro), Calbayog and San Fernando (La Union) on July 26. With PAL Express entry, Surigao, Cauayan and San Fernando, which have gone without air service for many years now, will once more enjoy a regular air link to Manila - a service PAL first provided these small cities in the 1980s, Bautista said.

Likewise, travelers to Virac, San Jose, Ozamiz and Calbayog will benefit from PAL Express upgraded service and competitive fares. Currently, these points are underserved by existing carriers.

When fully operational, PAL Express is expected to add one million passengers to the PAL network annually and contribute P1 billion in revenues, including a net income of P300 million. On the other hand, So Uy said PAL Express is offering a promo one-way fare of P88, excluding taxes and surcharges, as well as flights from Cebu to other southern cities.

"The special fare is availalbe until May 18 and is good for travel from May 19 to November this year," So Uy said.

(PNA)

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