Tuesday, February 19, 2008
Arroyo urged to sign open skies deal (1:07 p.m.)
MANILA -- Recruitment companies asked President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo to sign the open skies deal that would facilitate for a cheaper airfare to nearly 1 million Overseas Filipinos Workers (OFWs) that leave the country annually.
Jackson Gan, vice-president of the Federated Association of Manpower Exporters (Fame) said the "open skies policy" will greatly help the Filipino workers.
"The opening up of Clark and Subic international airports will allow more air carries to fly in to the country and will give our OFWs the opportunity to use the budget flights of these Asian airlines," Gan said.
According to Gan, the enormous OFW market with half-a-million passengers flying out from the Philippines to different destinations all over the world is a viable market for all carriers who want to avail of the open skies policy.
Aside from the 500,000 OFWs deployed yearly, another half-a-million rehires or balikbayans is another captured market and "the availability of cheap flights and frequent flights of many airlines coming to the country will give our workers more savings and more time to spend with their families."
Flag carrier Philippine Airlines (PAL) as well as other local airline companies namely, Cebu Pacific, Air Philippines, Asian Spirit are opposing the open skies policy due to the absence of reciprocity.
Last December 2007, the Philippines together with Association of Southeast Asian Nation (Asean) partners Japan, Korea and China agreed to sign the open skies deal for the Asia-wide implementation. (MSN/Sunnex) |
