Taiwan budget carrier prepares take-off in Philippines

MANILA, Philippines - Taiwan budget airline V Air has started seeking Philippine regulatory approval to offer its services in the country.

“The delegation from the airline paid a visit in the office two days ago,” Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB) executive director Carmelo Arcilla said on the sidelines of the Philippine Aviation Summit.

V Air is seeking Philippine regulatory approval to begin scheduled services between Taipei and Cebu and Kalibo by March next year.

Arcilla added the application maybe approved on V Air’s target date considering it is just September and there is ample time to process.

V Air was launched in December 2014 and is Taiwan’s second low-cost carrier wholly owned by Taiwanese carrier TransAsia Airways.

It started its inaugural flight from Taipei Taoyuan to Bangkok  Don Mueang last Dec. 17 while flights to Chiang Mai and Macau were added to its network in Jan. 7 and April 11, respectively.

The airline aims to expand its network to Japan and Korea, and cities in Northeast and Southeast Asia in the coming years.

V Air’s Airbus A320 and A321 fleet are noted for having a 32-inch seat pitch, the usual legroom for long-range economy flights, rather than the 28-inch allowance other low-costs carriers offer.

Furthermore, it targets to end 2015 with a minimum of five aircraft and plans to expand its fleet by introducing two to three aircraft yearly.