PASAY CITY -- The Philippine Airlines (PAL) is upbeat that the new flight route connecting the provinces of Negros Occidental and Pampanga will help ease congestion in the Metro Manila airport.
PAL president and chief operating officer Jaime Bautista, in an interview at the airlines’ office here Monday, November 20, said the Clark-Bacolod flight to be launched on December 15 will provide passengers an alternative route when going to other parts of Luzon.
Bautista said they are seeing a problem in Manila as there are only two criss-cross runways at Ninoy Aquino International Airport, which are not efficient.
“For people who would like to go to other parts of Luzon, they can pass through Clark International Airport in Pampanga. It is more convenient for them, they will also save time traveling,” he added.
The airline official though pointed out that the airport in Manila should stay as “majority of the traveling Filipinos are still here.”
There will be an initial four flights every week, during Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday, between Clark International Airport and Bacolod-Silay International Airport via Airbus 320.
These will add to the current five daily flights between Manila and Bacolod, and two daily flights between Cebu and Bacolod.
This is a 156-seater plane, Bautista said, adding that if the traffic between Clark and Bacolod improves, they can add more flights.
Bautista also said the additional flights show that the company's business confidence for Bacolod City remains high.
“As long as there is market demand, we are ready to add more flight routes,” he added.
Trade traffic
The PAL official also cited the growing economies both of Negros Occidental and Pampanga.
Through the new flight route, Bautista said trade as well as tourism traffic between two areas will be created.
Bautista said both places will serve as gateway to other tourism and trade destinations in the country.
“Clark is becoming a major hub also for many airlines mainly because of good airport facilities,” he said, adding that Negros Occidental, especially Bacolod City, also has something to trade with other provinces.