Vanilla Air to start flying Narita-Cebu on Christmas day

Chrisee Dela Paz

This is AI generated summarization, which may have errors. For context, always refer to the full article.

Vanilla Air to start flying Narita-Cebu on Christmas day
Philippine Tourism Secretary Wanda Teo has also asked the unit of ANA Holdings to explore the possibility of a Tokyo-Davao route

MANILA, Philippines – Vanilla Air will be the first Japanese airline to fly directly from Narita to Cebu, after the Philippine tourism department facilitated an agreement with the carrier in Tokyo, Japan, during President Rodrigo Duterte’s state visit.

In a scheduled meeting with Vanilla Air, Tourism Secretary Wanda Teo said she also asked the airline to explore the possibility of a Tokyo-Davao route via Cebu airport, in a bid to further open Central Visayas and Southern Mindanao to the Japanese market.

The unit of ANA Holdings will start operating daily round-trip flights from Narita Airport in Japan to Cebu airport in the Philippines on December 25.

Vanilla Air will be competing with Philippine Airlines (PAL) in the regular direct service between Cebu and Narita. PAL operates two round-trip flights daily, while Cebu Pacific flies four round-trip flights a week. 

“The entry of this first Japanese airline to provide non-stop service to Cebu is a welcome development since it has been branded as the ‘vacation destination’ of Japanese tourists,” Teo told Vanilla Air president Katsuya Goto in a meeting on the sidelines of Duterte’s state visit.

Tokyo-Davao soon?

For the proposed Tokyo-Davao route, DOT Undersecretary Benito Bengzon Jr said he has assured Vanilla Air’s Katsuya that he will help expedite the airline’s Foreign Carriers Air Permit (FACP).

FACP is a prerequisite for all international air carriers planning to operate on a new route in a foreign country. 

Vanilla Air’s Narita-Cebu route will have a market launch at the Shinjuku train station, the busiest foot traffic in Tokyo.

Citing the ease of putting together group tours and individual packages and its direct internet sales, the tourism department said Vanilla Air aims for 80% seating capacities on the Cebu flights. – Rappler.com

Add a comment

Sort by

There are no comments yet. Add your comment to start the conversation.

Summarize this article with AI

How does this make you feel?

Loading
Download the Rappler App!