BAGUIO City will finally be accessible through air travel, as an aviation corporation will start its operation in the city starting Friday.
Sky Pasada, an airline operated by the WCC Aviation Corporation will be opening operations Friday capitalizing on its tourism and agricultural prospects.
Sky Pasada Marketing Manager Richard Tanglao said the company will provide destinations for foreign and domestic tourists to promote trade, tourism, and commerce in the cities and municipalities in Northern Luzon and linking them with top destinations in the country.
Tanglao said the company has recognized these underserved destinations and underserved airports like Baguio-Loakan airport by linking them together through their concept of "Jeepney in the Sky."
Tanglao added that Sky Pasada is an airline of the countryside, which started as a flying and pilot training school owned by the Guico family of Binalonan, Pangasinan with only two aircrafts which now has a strong fleet of 30 flight training aircrafts and UVP-LET turbo-propeller aircrafts catering to passengers in Isabela, Batanes, Binalonan and Tuguegarao.
On Friday morning, the 19-seater UVP-LET turbo-propeller aircraft of the airline will land at the Loakan airport and will be bringing cargo of fresh seafoods and other products from Tuguegarao, Cagayan and Cauayan in Isabela.
"This is what we look at Sky Pasada's role in bringing highland vegetables to Isabela as we also link Isabela's fresh seafood catch to Baguio," Tanglao said.
He added traveling for 12 hours is a hassle just to get to locations like Tuguegarao and Isabela for P500 is unreasonable as other expenses like food and refreshments will equal their initial offering of P900 all-in Baguio to Tuguegarao or Cauayan, Isabela with travel time in just 40 minutes.
Moreover he added that aside from agricultural trade, they will also bring tourists to top destinations in the country as Baguio-Basco (Batanes), Baguio-Manila and Baguio-Caticlan (Boracay) will start by the end of the month.
"We are now finalizing the schedules of the other destinations and surely by the end of the month Baguio locals and visitors will enjoy link-ups of the Summer Capital with other top tourist destinations in the country," Tanglao said.
He added their company is acquiring mini-jets this year to serve passengers better with their Baguio-Manila and Baguio-Caticlan flights.
City Tourism Officer Benny Alhambra said this is a welcome move for the city as the airline is putting Baguio back on the tourism map as it is now accessibly by air transport.
Alhambra added the local tourism industry thinks this is a positive move for the city as accessibility during times of typhoons and calamities will be eased through air transport because goods and services will be delivered fast.
Alhambra added there will be an inaugural program after the landing of the first flight of Sky Pasada from Tuguegarao Airport to Loakan Airport to be attended by Sky Pasada president and Binalonan Mayor Ramon Guico III, Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines officials and city tourism stakeholders.
"Late last year, when roads leading to the Summer Capital were inaccessible due to landslides and road cuts, air transport became an important way of delivering emergency services and supplies needed in the city," Baguio airport manager Sulyn Sagorsor said.
She added with the arrival of this new airline, there will be a correction of the notion that Baguio-Loakan airport is not viable for air travel as in the previous years it has already been served by other domestic carriers like Philippine Airlines and Asian Spirit (now Zest Air).
September last year, Southeast Asian Airlines backed out from its inaugural flight to Baguio citing foggy conditions and unpredictable weather as the main reason for them not to continue with their proposed flight to the city. (JM Agreda)