Cebu-Doha trips ending

Tuesday, February 21, 2012

INTERNATIONAL airline Qatar Airways will suspend its Cebu-Doha operations effective March 26.

In an advisory sent to its partners and clients, the airline said it will stop servicing the Cebu-Doha route due to rising fuel cost and high operating expenditure. Its last flight is scheduled on March 26.

Have something to report? Tell us in text, photos or videos.

The airline said passengers with flights after March 26 will be provided with alternative flights like the Manila-Doha route that flies twice-weekly.

Sought for comments, tourism players said they hope the airline management would reconsider its decision, citing that the Cebu-Doha route is Cebu’s only direct link to Europe.

“We are requesting for reconsideration especially now that the European market is picking up,” said Department of Tourism (DOT) 7 Director Rowena Montecillo in a phone interview yesterday.

Montecillo said she has scheduled an appointment with Qatar Airways (Philippines) management today to talk about the issue.

“We acknowledge that this is a business decision. But, I, personally would want to know the problems of the airlines, so we’ll know how the government and the private sector can come in to help them,” Montecillo said.

She stressed the need for Cebu to increase its connectivity to other countries so it could attract more foreign arrivals. “How can we continue promoting our province if we don’t have connections to bring them here?” she said.

More arrivals

Qatar Airway’s entry to Cebu was in 2003. It has allowed greater accessibility for European tourists, specifically Russians, to Cebu.

Montecillo noted an increase of 76 percent in the number of Russian tourists alone last year. Arrivals from Sweden, Switzerland, Belgium and Denmark, among other European countries, are also rising.

DOT 7 recorded a growth of 6.43 percent in European tourist arrivals or 124,276 tourists last year over the 116,763 European tourists that visited in 2010.

Similar to DOT 7, the Hotel, Resort and Restaurant Association of Cebu (HRRAC) is also appealing for Qatar Airways to not suspend its flights.

“HRRAC appeals to Qatar Airways Management for a reconsideration as we need their service for our connection to and from Europe. Traffic via Manila is not a desirable option. DOT must intervene to reach our goal of four million foreign tourist arrivals for 2012,” said HRRAC president Hans Hauri in a text message yesterday.

Summer season in doubt

Hauri believes uncertain fuel price developments, low cargo revenues, low yield from business class, the common carrier tax of 2.5 percent, and the Philippine Billing Tax of 1.5 percent are the factors that pushed the airline to arrive at such a decision.

“What appears offensive is that the bilateral air agreement has come to waste and no other carrier can fill this void. It takes long negotiations before such agreements are finalized. Cebu’s success of its summer tourist season is put in doubt,” he said.

While Cebu is resilient in nature, Jay Aldeguer, chief executive officer and president of the Islands Group, believes there’s a need for an integrated tourism plan.

“This is quite unfortunate. This is going to be a setback in Cebu’s tourism. While I know Cebu is resilient and will be able to cope with this setback, it’s really high time we have a more integrated tourism plan if we truly want to be a world-class destination. I hope this does not send the wrong signal to other international carriers who are looking to service Cebu,” Aldeguer said.

Qatar Airways flies from Doha to Cebu three times weekly. The average travel time is nine and a half hours.