CAB OKs Cebu Pacific additional flights to UAE

MANILA, Philippines – Cebu Pacific said on Tuesday, December 22 that the Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB) has granted the airline additional entitlements for Manila-United Arab Emirates (UAE) route.

The airline was granted the right to operate additional 7 flights weekly from Manila to the UAE, allowing the airline to launch flights to any point in such destination.

Currently, Cebu Pacific is fully utilizing its entitlements with daily flights between Manila and Dubai.

Cebu Pacific’s request for rights to operate direct flights to Taipei from Caticlan, Clark, Davao, Puerto Princesa, and Tagbilaran, as well as direct flights to Kaohshiung from Caticlan and Cebu, was likewise granted.

The airline is presently operating 10 times weekly flights between Manila and Taipei, and thrice weekly flights between Cebu and Taipei.

Cebu Pacific was also designated as an official Philippine carrier to Russia, and was granted thrice weekly flights each from Manila to Moscow and Vladivostok.  

Official carrier

Cebu Pacific said CAB also approved its request to be designated as an official carrier under the ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) Multilateral Agreement on Air Services (MAAS).

As soon as the Philippines completes the ratification of the relevant protocols of the MAAS, Cebu Pacific will be able to operate unlimited flights between capital cities within the ASEAN region.

“We sincerely thank and commend the members CAB for enabling Philippine carriers such as Cebu Pacific to expand operations to key international destinations,” Cebu Pacific said in a press release Tuesday.

It added that the airline always maintained that traffic rights are valuable resources that must be rationally allocated to carriers that are willing and able to utilize and operate flights.

“We look forward to mounting additional flights to meet the growing travel demand in communities we serve, and opening new routes to stimulate travel in emerging markets,” said JR Mantaring, Cebu Pacific vice president for corporate affairs.

In August, Cebu Pacific said that a new round of air talks with the UAE should not be held until all available Manila-use entitlements are fully utilized by Philippine carriers who are ready, willing, and capable of operating routes to UAE. (READ: PAL, Cebu Pacific oppose anew UAE air talks)

Cebu Pacific currently offers flights to a network of over 90 routes on 60 destinations, like Sydney, Dubai, Doha, Bali, and Tokyo (Narita).

On December 17, Cebu Pacific launched 3 new routes: Manila – Fukuoka, Cebu – Taipei, and Davao – Singapore.

It is also slated to launch direct flights from Manila to Guam, its first US destination, on March 15, 2016. (READ: Cebu Pacific to start flying to Guam in March) – Rappler.com