ZestAir starts Manila to Jinjiang route

JINJIANG, China – Aggressively expanding airline Zest Airways (ZestAir) inaugurated its Manila to Jinjiang flight this week, its first international flight operating out of Manila.

Alfredo Yao, president and chief executive officer of ZestAir, said they were excited about the prospects of their new offering, a safe, fast and convenient access to Manila for Chinese tourists in the Southeast region of China as well as for Chinese-Filipinos whose roots are from Fujian province.

Yao said they would initially offer the route three times a week (Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday) with the two and a half hour flight leaving NAIA Terminal III at 9:10 a.m. and arriving at the Quanzhou (Jinjiang) International Airport at 11:30 a.m., and the return flight to Manila leaving Quanzhou at 2 p.m. and arriving at the NAIA Terminal III at 4:30 p.m.

Yao said that the flight frequency of the Manila-Jinjiang route will “depend on market demand.”

For its initial run, ZestAir would utilize their Airbus 320s with 180-seat configuration.

Before Jinjiang, ZestAir had already operated five international flights since 2010, from the Kalibo and Cebu international airports to Incheon and Pusan in South Korea; and Shanghai and Beijing in China; and Taiwan.

“The fruits of hard work to operate ZestAir’s first international flight direct out of Manila is now finally ready for harvest,” Yao noted.

Yao led the delegation of Filipino and Chinese-Filipino businessmen, and Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA) officials during the press launch at Marco Polo Hotel in Jinjiang.

“The international route of Manila-Quanzhou opened by Philippine Zest Airlines marks the beginning of the operation of foreign airplanes in Jinjiang Airport and let it become a real international airport,” Chen Rongzhou, vice mayor of Quanzhou said.

Chen noted that Quanzhou is known as the “famous hometown” to many overseas Chinese and Chinese-Filipino taipans in the Philippines.

ZestAir presently flies to over 19 domestic destinations including Boracay (Kalibo), Bacolod, Busuanga, Calbayog, Cagayan de Oro, Catarman, Cebu, Davao, Iloilo, Legazpi, Manila, Masbate, Marinduque, Puerto Princesa, San Jose (Mindoro), Tablas, Tacloban, Tagbilaran, and Virac.

According to Yao, ZestAir is also planning to open more international flights this year to Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia) and Singapore; add more flights from Manila to Shanghai (China) and Incheon (South Korea); and resume the Manila-Hong Kong flight.

The airline currently has a fleet of 14 aircraft, nine of which are A320s, with 162 to 180 seat configurations, one A319 with a 144-seat configuration, and four MA 60s with 56-seat configuration.

Yao said given their aggressive expansion plans, they are keen to acquire two more A320s this year.