Phl, Malaysia ink pact to double seat capacity

MANILA, Philippines - The Philippines finally inked a new air agreement with Malaysia, doubling the weekly seat capacity between the two Southeast Asian countries to accommodate more passengers.

Carmelo Arcilla, executive director of the Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB), said in a text message to reporters that the new agreement signed on Thursday doubled the capacity between Manila and Kuala Lumpur to 9,640 per week from the 4,820 per week.

The new air agreement, he said, also provides unlimited seats per week from the current 2,000 seats per week between all points in Malaysia and all points in the Philippines except Manila.

“The new agreement will allow our airlines to expand on the routes between the Phil and Malaysia, especially that the market continues to grow and our airlines have been fully utilizing their entitlements,” Arcilla said.

Air talks with Malaysia were called off twice this year. It was originally scheduled in April but was postponed due to the mysterious disappearance of Malaysia Airline Flight No. MH370. It was rescheduled in August but has to be called off again due to the shooting down of Malaysia Airline Flight No. MH17 over Ukraine.

According to him, there was a need to update the air pact with Malaysia that was signed in 2011 to cope with the growing number of passengers between Manila and Kuala Lumpur.

“The last air talks was held in 2011 in Kuala Lumpur,” he added.

For one, he disclosed that low cost carrier AirAsia Zest has been operating beyond the limit and is currently utilizing temporary rights to fly more passengers to Malaysia.

The air agreement with Malaysia was the 10th concluded by the Philippine air negotiating panel composed of officials from the CAB and the Departments of Tourism, Transportation and Communications, and Foreign Affairs, as well as from the Clark International Airport Corp. and representatives of Philippine carriers.