Cebu Pacific redirects Caticlan-bound flights to Kalibo

MANILA, Philippines - Starting Thursday, Cebu Pacific flights to Caticlan will be cancelled and redirected to Kalibo after the Philippines’ aviation agency changed operating conditions at the airport that serves Boracay-bound tourists. More than 60,000 passengers affected by the rule change will not bear additional costs, the Gokongwei-led budget carrier said in a statement. However, a Kalibo route may prolong travel to the tourist island since it involves a two-hour bus trip after touchdown. Meanwhile, a Caticlan landing involves land travel to the port and a half hour ferry to the island. Caticlan airport was assigned as a one-way airport for all carriers by the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines. Planes taking off from the facility should be towards the sea while touchdown should be undertaken in the opposite direction. Cebu Pacific “continues to work closely with our industry partner, the CAAP, to find a speedy resolution, to these airport issues, to allow Cebu Pacific to re-instate flights to Caticlan. Boracay continues to be one of the country’s most important tourism destinations," Lance Gokongwei, company president and chief executive officer, said in a statement. Cebu Pacific, which has been mounting direct flights to Caticlan since February 2008, has carried over 340,000 passengers. It mounted as many as 15 round-trip flights daily to Caticlan until June 25. Affected passengers may call the call center (02) 702-0888 / (032) 230-8888 or visit the website www.cebupacificair.com for more details and updates on their flights, the statement said. - GMANews.TV