Tuesday, November 14, 2006

Mosphil Aero To Add New Flights In RP, Asia

ZAMBOANGA CITY (Darwin Wee / 14 Nov) – Filipino and Russian’s Mosphil Aero Incorporated announced Tuesday its plan to add new routes in Brunei, Indonesia and Malaysia and probably other countries in Southeast Asia.

Mosphil said it is only waiting the signing of the Fifth Freedom Traffic Rights by members of the sub-regional trade bloc of the East Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Growth Area (EAGA) during the ASEAN Summit in Cebu City next month.

Glenn Lamela, Mosphil's director on marketing and sales, said the new routes will even include those outside the Brunei Darussalam, Indonesia, and Malaysia, Philippines- East ASEAN Growth Area or the BIMP-EAGA structure.

"The signing of the fifth freedom traffic right will allow us to operate internal flights within the four member countries of the BIMP-EAGA, and this is a big opportunity for us," Lamela told the Mindanao Examiner.

Earlier, the Mindanao Business Council said that the Fifth Freedom Traffic Rights agreement will focus on the establishment of scheduled passenger services between Davao City-Kota Kinabalu (Malaysia)-Bandar Seri Begawan (Brunei Darussalam) and between Pontianak (Indonesia)-Kuching (Malaysia)-Bandar Seri Begawan (Brunei Darussalam).

Lamela said Mosphil is also planning to launch the Zamboanga-Kota-Kinabalu- Brunei, and Davao-Kota-Kinabalu-Manado routes and local flights from Zamboanga to Davao, Zamboanga-Cagayan de Oro, Zamboanga-Cebu, Cotabato-IloIlo, and Boracay-Zamboanga routes.

"It is our priority to strengthen and materialize the traffic and the air-linkages within the BIMP-EAGA. The Philippine government is looking at Mosphil as the model to be presented during the ASEAN summit comes this December," Lamela said.

Mosphil is currently operating the Zamboanga-Jolo route twice a week. It opened the flight just in September. "We wanted to increase the inflow of traffic to Zamboanga City," Lamela said, adding they wanted to establish Zamboanga City as hub of Mosphil operation.

"Mosphil also wants to actively participate in tourism related activities, aside from strengthening the networking with the business sectors in the four member countries," Lamela said, adding, the Mosphil is expected to add one more Russian-made Antonov 24 before the year ends as part of the airline's P500-million expansion project.

The Antonov 24 can carry 48 passengers and five tons of cargoes. Mosphil has three aircrafts -- a passenger plane, helicopter, and Atonov 26B, a twin turboprop, operating in Zamboanga.
(Mindanao Examiner)

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