The flag was prominently displayed atop the Dornier Do 24 ATT, the only remaining Dornier amphibian aircraft in commercial operation in the world, which was prominently parked next to the new Airbus 380 introduced to the public for the first time. The owner, Captain Iren Dornier, is the founder of South East Asian Airlines (SEAir) which was established at the Clark Special Economic Zone in 1994. He decided to fly the Philippine flag as a recognition of the success being enjoyed by SEAir in the Philippines and to attract Germans to visit and invest in tourism projects in the Philippines. Captain Iren also used the Dornier Do 24 ATT on his "Flight of Dreams," a one-year journey which took him on a world tour, which included the Philippines.
Captain Iren is the grandson of German aviation pioneer Prof. Dr. Claude Dornier. The legendary DORNIER Wal that made its maiden flight in 1922 was the most successful seaplane in the 20s and 30s.
SEAir currently operates services to Boracay and Northern Palawan and has recently inaugurated a regular flight between Manila and Baler. Captain Iren has also started a resort, Club Noah Isabelle in Palawan, and continues to invest in the tourism infrastructure sector in the Philippines. SEAir is also involved in UNICEF-supported programs with Captain Iren raising recently USD 61,000 for a Philippine UNICEF child education, protection and awareness program.
The Ambassador also learned that Captain Iren's company in Germany, the Dornier Technologie Aviation Engineering Company which is primarily involved in design and development, is cooperating with Airbus, Ricaro Airbus , Liebhenn and other renowned aerospace companies in Europe.