Cebu Pacific is first PHL carrier to land in Dubai in 15 yrs.

(Updated 7:58 p.m.) Fifteen years after Philippine Airlines (PAL) suspended its flights to Dubai, a Philippine carrier will once again fly to the United Arab Emirates – Cebu Pacific, this time around.

 

Cebu Pacific will be the first Philippine carrier to land in Dubai in 15 years, starting Oct. 7, to serve over half a million Filipinos working and living in the UAE, president and CEO Lance Gokongwei said Thursday.

 

Gokongwei was at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport to meet the budget airline's second brand new Aribus A330-300 which arrived from Toulouse, France

 

The Manila-Dubai-Manila daily direct flights is the first long haul destination for Cebu Pacific, with fares that are up to 35 percent lower than other carriers, the airline said.

 

“Since we started international operations, our focus has always been to fly where Filipinos are,” Gokongwei said. “With our flights to Dubai, we can bring global Filipinos home faster, not just to Manila but wherever they may be in the Philippines,” he added.

 

The airline claimed its Manila-Dubai-Manila service will be the fastest way to reach the Philippine capital and make same day connections with its local network. 

 

On its maiden Dubai-Manila flight, the airline will bring home “100 Lucky Juans” as part of an initiative to bring home 100 Global Filipinos for free.

 

PAL is also launching its direct flights to Dubai, starting Nov. 1.

 

PAL first flew to Dubai on August 4, 1982. The flag carrier was forced to suspended all operations on on Sept. 23, 1998 as the Asian financial crisis deepened – a situation that was aggravated by industrial action by PAL labor unions, which in turn compelled the airliner to pull out of most routes and drastically reduce its fleet.

Europe, US territories

As it earmarked $4 billion for its refleeting program, Gokongwei said Cebu Pacific is also looking at mounting long-haul flights to Europe and the United States.
 
He said the company will seek clearance from the European Union to enter European airspace.
 
“In November, we are going to make a formal presentation to EU authorities and we are likewise working towards a certification to be able to fly to Europe,” Gokongwei told reporters.

Last July 10, EU Ambassador Guy Ledoux announced the lifting of a ban on Philippine carriers imposed in 2010, allowing PAL to restore flight frequencies in Europe after the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) addressed major safety concerns.

Gokongwei also said Cebu Pacific is also targeting the US – particularly Guam and Hawaii – once the country’s status is upgraded to Category 1 by the US Federal Aviation Administration.

“For the US, there have been some pronouncements that Philippines expects to get out of Category 2 in the fourth quarter. At that point, we will probably look at certain routes in the US including Guam and Hawaii,” he said. — Danessa O. Rivera/VS/BM, GMA News