CebuPac, TigerAir seek add’l seats for Macau flights

MANILA, Philippines - Budget airline Cebu Air Inc. (Cebu Pacific) and recently acquired Tiger Airways Philippines are seeking additional seat entitlements for flights between Manila and Macau, documents from the Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB) showed.

In separate applications with the CAB, Cebu Pacific is asking for additional 1,162 seat entitlements while Tigerair Philippines is seeking additional 1,260 weekly seats for flights to Macau from Manila.

Both airlines are owned by taipan John Gokongwei. Cebu Pacific spent $7 million to acquire the 40 percent share of Tiger Airways Singapore Pte Ltd in Tigerair Philippines and $8 million for the 60 percent owned by Filipino businessmen.

Cebu Pacific announced that it has closed its purchase of 100 percent of Tigerair Philippines including the 40 percent stake of Tiger Airways Holdings Limited last March 22. It is now awaiting the approval of the Committee on Franchise of the House of Representatives for the proposed acquisition.

Earlier, AirAsia Zest - jointly owned by AirAsia Philippines Inc. and Zest Airways Inc. filed an application before CAB for the allocation of additional entitlements of 720 weekly seats between Manila and Macau.

AirAsia Philippines completed the acquisition of an 85 percent economic interest and 49 percent voting rights in ZestAir as well as a 100 percent interest in Yao’s Asiawide Airways Inc. based on a strategic alliance agreement signed in May last year. In exchange, Yao’s ZestAir got $16 million as well as 13 percent interest in AirAsia Philippines.

The airline is looking at further raising 49 percent interest in ZestAir and has a pending petition before the House of Representatives and the Senate.

Last June 18, CAB executive director Carmelo Arcilla announced that the Philippines and Macau inked a new air service agreement raising seat entitlements between the two countries by 56 percent to 7,020 per week from the current 4,500.

The Philippines pursued a new round air talks with Macau to amend the air pact signed last year as it is set to become a gateway to Hong Kong as well as other cities in China.

The Philippines so far concluded air talks with six countries including France last January, Singapore last February, New Zealand last March as well as Myanmar and Canada last May, and Macau last June.

Air talks with Malaysia scheduled last April 3 were called suspended due to the search for the missing Beijing bound Malaysia Airline Flight No. MH370 while the scheduled talks with South Africa last week was also deferred due to the unavailability of the officials.

Last year, the Philippines signed air agreements with Japan, Macau, Brazil, Australia, Israel, and Italy.