Mosphil Aero Opens RP Routes

ZAMBOANGA CITY (Darwin Wee / 10 Aug) A Filipino-Russian owned airline company, Mosphil Aero Incorporated, is to launch its maiden flights from Malaysia to Zamboanga City in the southern Philippines coinciding with the opening of the 15th Mindanao Business Conference here on August 30.

Ricardo San Juan, regional tourism director, said the airliner is only awaiting approval from the Air Transportation Office and the Civil Aviation Board to fly to the Philippines on August 29 to ferry delegates from Malaysia for the business conference here.

"Mosphil's original maiden flight is scheduled for the first week of September, but was moved to end of August to cater to participants from Malaysia and even some businessmen from Indonesia who will come to Zamboanga City to attend the 15th Mindanao Business Conference," San Juan said.

Senior Mosphil officials were in Zamboanga City recently and met with different representatives of regional government agencies and local businessmen, San Juan said.

He said Ibragim Sharifkulov, president of Mosphil Aero Inc., also announced his plans to revive the Zamboanga-Sandakan-Kota Kinabalu flight after airliner South Phoenix discontinued its operation last year due to management problem.

"Mosphil officials are very keen to open again the Zamboanga-Sandakan-Kota-Kinabalu route because of high passenger traffic according from Mosphil's own feasibility studies," San Juan said.

San Juan said the Zamboanga-Sandakan- Kota-Kinabalu route will fly at least three times a week starting August 30. The air carrier will use its latest Russian-made Antonov 24, a medium size aircraft which has the capacityof 48 seats and can carry at least five tons of cargoes.

As part of the technology transfer program of the company, the Russian crew will initially man the aircraft while their Filipino counterparts are still being trained at the Antonov Training center in Kiev, Ukraine.San Juan said the opening of this flight will boost the local tourism industry.

"This new airline servicing directly between Zamboanga City and Malaysia will definitely produce a positive impact not only on tourism, but also to the local economy," he said, adding that Manila is seriously studying to cut the travel tax imposed on tourists.

Aside from Zamboanga city, Mosphil is also planning to open new flights to Jolo and Tawi-Tawi islands and Davao City and other key destination in Mindanao.

Teresita U. Sebastian, vice-chairman of the Mindanao Business Council, said that establishing more domestic and international air links in Western Mindanao will spur trade and economic activities and promote tourism not only in Zamboanga City, but entire Mindanao.

Sebastian, who is also the regional governor of the Zamboanga Peninsula Philippine Chamber of Commerce, said that airline investment in Mindanao is an ideal venture because of the increasing number of both domestic and foreign tourists and investors along with the existing Brunei Darussalam, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines- East ASEAN Growth Area or the BIMP-EAGA economic cooperation.

"One of the major objectives for the creation of the BIMP-EAGA is to improve trade, tourism and investment linkages among the four member countries," she said.

Mosphil is also opening direct flights to the Republic of Palau.

Sharifkulov said the airline company is putting up international and domestic flights primarily to service passenger and cargo traffic in Mindanao.

"Our expansion in Mindanao is part of the company's mission to provide air travel and cargo services to potential tourist destinations in the Philippines needing reliable means of transportation," he said.