Gov’t urged to review policy on air rights

The Save Our Skies (SOS) movement has called on the Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB) and other government policymakers to review the policy of granting unjustified and unwarranted seat entitlements to Middle East airlines.

In a statement, the SOS also asked Tourism Secretary Roberto Pagdanganan to meet with Mideast carriers to discuss ways on how to promote Philippine tourist destinations in the Middle East.

Robert Lim Joseph, SOS president, expressed alarm over published reports that the government has dramatically increased the seat entitlements of Mideast carriers without justification.

"The ultimate victims of this shortsighted policy are the local airlines as well as the tourism industry," he said.

He said it is no secret in the industry that Mideast carriers use their excess capacity to poach on the market of other airlines not only on the Philippines-Middle East route but also on the Philippine-Europe route.

On his call for Pagdanganan to meet with Mideast carriers, Joseph noted that while more than 2.5 million seats were granted to these airlines, only 18,456 Middle Easterners visited the Philippines in 2003.

"I think the government should be more aggressive in promoting our country in the Middle East. Secretary Pagdanganan should work for a ‘win-win’ solution to promote the country overseas," he said.

According to Joseph, the government should at least target 200,000 Middle East tourists a year.

He said the National Association of Independent Travel Agencies (NAITAS) and Philippine Tour Operators Association (Philtoa) could come up with a strategy and tailor-made tour packages to bring in the tourists.

"We should promote not only Manila but also Davao, Cebu, the Ilocos region and Bohol, among other tourist destinations," he added.

He said the Mideast carriers have not been tapped by previous tourism secretaries in the country’s drive to attract more foreign visitors.

"Secretary Pagdanganan has the marketing savvy and respect of the tourism industry. We are confident he can pull off a viable plan to attract these Middle East tourist," Joseph stressed.

Published reports stated that 64 percent of total seat entitlements granted to these government-owned and-subsidized Middle East carriers by the Philippine government is not being used yet the government continues to increase their air rights.

It was also learned that plans by Philippine Airlines to resume European flights in 2001 and 2003 were cancelled because of the resulting RP-Europe market diversion to Mideast carriers and overcapacity.

Published reports said under the air agreement between RP and Bahrain, the latter was granted 280,000 seat entitlements annually yet it used only 60,994 seats for an unused capacity of 219,856 seats.

In the RP-United Arab Emirates air agreement, UAE was granted 581,360 seats but it utilized only 271,128 or an unused capacity of 310,232 seats.

Qatar was granted 343,200 seats annually under its agreement with the Philippines yet it has used only 113,152 or unused capacity of 230,948 seats.

The government’s air agreement with Kuwait entitled the oil-rich kingdom with 274,560 seats per year, but figures show only 87,360 seats used or an unused capacity of 187,200 seats.