Dubai-Davao flights won’t happen any time soon — Emirates

The future of the first regular direct flights between Dubai in the United Arab Emirates and Davao City is not yet certain, according to a top official of one of the UAE's biggest airlines said Thursday.

"I cannot tell if it's a yes or no that in the few years we will have direct flights [to Davao]," Emirates country head Satish Sethi told reporters in a press briefing in Makati City.

"We are looking at many aspects. The operational aspects, market demand, aero-political approvals, so it's a mixture of so many things. And then after that you have to look at aircraft development and business development, so there are many things that go around for a decision of flying to a place," Sethi added.

Late in April, the Duterte administration held a bilateral air service discussion with the UAE in a bid to obtain the commitment of the two biggest UAE airlines, Emirates and Etihad, to launch the first regular direct flights between the UAE and Davao International Airport.

"We understand that Davao is a major city here, a lot of business are going there, so it's on our radar. The Philippine government has proposed it to us and the feasibility study has started," Sethi said.

However, he added, "it is still too early to say, to give you the time frame when it will happen."

"It is a proposal, which we welcomed... We honor all the requests of the governments we fly to," he added.

The Emirates official said that the Philippine government has asked the UAE's government to offer flights to other destinations in the country in exchange for granting the Middle Eastern airline's request to be able to offer more flights to Manila.

"This is a very good policy as the Philippines wants to promote secondary routes. The priority of the government to decongest Manila and expand business to other cities, we will do everything to support the government as long our feasibility allows us to," Sethi said. — BM, GMA News