PAL to take over Manila-Dubai route from PAL Express

MANILA, Philippines – Philippine Airlines (PAL) is set to take over the Manila-Dubai route from its low-cost carrier PAL Express, tentatively this April.

As part of its rationalization plan, the legacy carrier would focus on international routes and Cebu and Davao, while the low cost carrier, which is now servicing the Manila-Dubai route, would instead be focused on domestic destinations, PAL President and CEO Jaime Bautista said.

The PAL Group serves a total of 67 international and domestic routes. PAL has 37 international routes including the recently launched Manila-New York route and soon to be launched Jinjiang, China, and Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea. It also served 30 domestic destinations.

PAL Express, meanwhile, operates a total of 24 aircraft of the fleet of 74 Airbus and Boeing aircraft of the PAL Group.

‘Underserved’

The Manila-Dubai route is “underserved,” rival carrier Emirates said as the Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB) ended the airlines’ third daily flight for the route.

It also slapped Emirates with a P1.8 million ($40,177.27) for violating Republic Act No. 776 (also known as the Civil Aeronautics Act of the Philippines) since it was selling tickets for a third daily flight for the Manila-Dubai route until October 2015.

The Dubai-based airline argued that an estimated 910,000 airline seats are needed annually to serve the consumer demand for the Manila-Dubai route, or an equivalent 41 flights weekly via a large aircraft like Boeing 777.

PAL and budget airline Cebu Pacific strongly opposed the extension for the third daily flight of Emirates for the Manila-Dubai routes, as well as the holding of the air talks between the Philippines and the United Arab Emirates. – Rappler.com