The German airline provides over 30 percent of traveler traffic between the Philippines and Europe.
Tourism Secretary Ace Durano is now consulting with the Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB) and other partners in the tourism sector to make the country more accessible to more travelers, especially from the European region.
The Civil Aviation Board informed the Department of Tourism (DOT) that the air seats that will be vacated by Lufthansa would most likely be taken up by Middle Eastern airlines.
Lufthansa currently flies seven times weekly with 66 business class and 279 economy class allocations per flight.
KLM Royal Dutch Airlines meantime will remain to be the only European carrier in the Philippines by April 2008.
Durano said the DOT would also continue to push for the internationalization of the country's provincial airports and the general upgrade of facilities, which will encourage more regular flight offerings and charter services to the country.
In 2007 European visitor arrivals increased by 13.8 percent.
The United Kingdom and Germany are in the 12 leading sources of tourists, while Russia presents itself as the fastest growing sector with about 128.9 percent increase last year. (MSN/Sunnex)
