AirAsia Zest to add another Manila-Incheon flight in May

AirAsia Zest, a joint venture of Philippines AirAsia and Zest Airways Inc., has announced it will have two daily flights between the Philippines and South Korea starting on May 1.

 

Joy Caneba, executive vice president and chief operating officer of AirAsia Zest, said the flights "open up new affordable access" between Manila and Incheon.

 

According to Department of Tourism data, Korea is the country's biggest source of tourists, making up 24.9 percent of total inbound visitors or 1.17 million arrivals in 2013. International tourist arrivals went up 9.56 percent to 4.7 million last year against 4.3 million in 2012.

 

AirAsia Zest made the announcement as it prepares to fly daily between Taipei and Kalibo in Aklan province. Tourist arrivals from Taiwan stood at 139,099 tourists in 2013, making it the seventh biggest source of tourists behind Singapore (175,034) and ahead of Canada (131,381).

 

“AirAsia Zest’s newest routes seek to better serve our overseas Filipinos while helping drive tourist traffic by providing more low-cost options for travel,” Caneba said.

 

AirAsia Zest president Maan Hontiveros earlier said the airline is considering mounting flights to Nagoya and Osaka in Japan as well as some parts of China . — JDS, GMA News