CAB urged to act on low-cost airlines' application

CLARK FIELD, Pampanga — A coalition of groups seeking the full operations of the Diosdado Macapagal International Airport (DMIA) here has accused some officials of the Civial Aeronautics Board (CAB) of partiality towards the Philippine Air Lines (PAL) by sitting on applications of other airlines to launch cheaper flights from here to Macau.

Alex Cauguiran, executive director of the coalition Move Clark Now (MCN) said yesterday that the plans of Thailand’s AirAsia and Singapore’s Tiger Airways to launch this month flights to Macau could be derailed unless CAB act on their applications for permits which were filed months ago.

"I appeal to CAB officials to work for the interest of the people of Central and Nothern Luzon, where about 70 percent of our overseas Filipino workers come from. They are supposed to be major beneficiaries of the low-cost flights of airlines which have moved into Clark," Cauguiran said.

He noted that the flights being offered by Tiger Airways and AirAsia would cost much less than the usual fares.

In a letter to CAB, PAL has expressed opposition to plans of Tiger Airways to operate twice daily flights between Clark and Macau, in addition to the airline’s existing regular flights to Singapore.

PAL cited that the so-called seventh freedom of the air agreement among international airlines which was defined as the right given to a foreign carrier of operations between two different countries without requiring the carrier’s services to originate from or terminate in its home country.

PAL said that Tiger Airway’s plans to fly to Macau via Singapore would involve a change of aircraft and that, therefore, the Singaporean airline’s flights between Clark and Macau are exclusively targeting travelers between Clark and Macau. However, the agreement between the Philippines and Singapore "does not grant Singaporean carriers of the fifth freedom privileges between the Philippines and Macau.

"Seventh freedom privileges, under Philippine law, may only be enjoyed by a carrier that is at least 60 percent Philippine-owned," PAL said, noting that Tiger Airways is largely owned by the Singaporean government.

Cauguiran, however, said that President Arroyo has already imposed a liberalized policy at the DMIA with Executive Order 253.

"This was in the spirit of her bid to boost Clark as a major economic hub in Asia, as identified in her 10-point agenda," he said.

While PAL cited only Tiger Airways in its opposition letter to CAB, Cauguiran said it also expected opposition to plans of AirAsia to also launch flghts to Macau.

"People at CAB should not work for the interest of a few persons. I advise them to restudy the President’s 10-point agenda and not become a stumbling block for the accomplishment of such an agenda," he said.