AirphilExpress return to SoKor remains on hold; CAB to meet with counterpart

Business Mirror
February 2, 2012
By Lenie Lectura

AIRPHILEXPRESS’ plan to resume flights to Incheon will continue to be put on hold until aviation officials are able to secure a schedule for a meeting with their counterparts in South Korea.

The Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB) planned to meet this week authorities from South Korea to appeal a decision that denied AirphilExpress’ application to launch flights to the gateway of the Seoul capital. But the agency, said Executive Director Carmelo Arcilla, has yet to schedule a meeting.

“Obviously, the meeting will be delayed because there is no definite schedule when [it] will take place. But we are working on it so that we can address the issue,” said Arcilla in a phone interview yesterday.

AirphilExpress stopped servicing the Manila-Incheon route six years ago but formalized its intention to return last year. South Korea denied this application, citing the ban imposed by the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the European Union and the International Civil Aviation Organizations (ICAO) on the Philippines.

The FAA had placed the country in “Category 2 safety status” in January 2008. This effectively prohibits local carriers from expanding operations in the US. The ICAO, meanwhile, cited the Philippines as one of the countries with serious safety concerns.

“But those with existing flights to South Korea like Cebu Pacific and Philippine Airlines are not prohibited by the South Korean government to fly there,” said Arcilla. “It only covers those that are operating for the first time and they considered AirphilExpress as a new operator because of the fact that it stopped operating.”

While AirphilExpress’ application was denied, the CAB granted Jin Air to fly the Incheon-Kalibo route until the middle of February.

The CAB’s decision to allow Jin Air into the country is based on the premise of equal opportunity in accordance with Executive Order (EO) 29, the policy implementing “open skies.”

Under the rules of the said EO, third, fourth and fifth freedom rights are allowed. This means foreign airlines can mount flights to and from any airports in the country, except the already congested Ninoy Aquino International Airport, without restrictions on frequency, capacity and type of aircraft.

The rules are meant to attract foreign airlines to operate to the country’s secondary gateways, which are largely underserved or totally unserved by both international and local airlines.

“AirphilExpress complained that there is no reciprocity and Filipino carriers are not given equal opportunity. We want to seek a dialogue with the South Korean government as soon as possible,” added Arcilla.