Local carrier to start int’l flights from Clark

Amid ongoing buyout talks, budget airline Asian Spirit is still on expansion mode as it is set to start its five-times-a-week operations at the Clark airport in Pampanga next week. Initially, Asian Spirit will fly three Incheon-Clark-Incheon flights per week at the Diosdado Macapagal International Airport (DMIA) starting March 19, and on March 24, the carrier will increase flights to five times per week. Asian Spirit will operate at the DMIA in Clark on Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays. During its Friday flights, the Turalba-led airlines will be flying from Kalibo, Aklan and will proceed to the DMIA to take passengers to Incheon, South Korea. With the expansion, Asian Spirit will be the first local carrier to operate international flights at the 2,300-hectare Civil Aviation Complex in Clark, which has two 3.2-kilometer parallel runways. Lucio Tan-led carrier Philippine Airlines and Gokongwei budget airline Cebu Pacific had expressed interest in operating in the former US air base. In a phone interview, Asian Spirit Chairman Antonio V. Turalba, Jr. said the ongoing negotiations with a number of potential investors including beverage businessman Alfredo M. Yao is not interfering with the carrier’s expansion plans. "Nothing is definite yet. It’s still under negotiation. It takes a while. We gave them a price and they are evaluating. For the meantime, we are going to continue with our plans as if nothing is happening," Mr. Turalba told BusinessWorld. Asked to give further details about his airline shopping, Mr. Yao, the chairman of Zest-O Corp. said: "Wala pang sigurado. Nag-uusap pa lang kami ngayon kaya hindi pa natin malaman kung saan pupunta ito (Nothing is certain. We are still in talks, that’s why we can’t tell where this will go)." In addition to Asian Spirit’s route expansion, Mr. Turalba said the carrier is going to invest $10 million-$14 million for the lease of two British Aerospace BAe146 aircraft this year. The first plane is expected to arrive within the next two months, while the second one should be delivered in the second semester. For his part, Clark International Airport Corp. President and Chief Executive Officer Victor I. Luciano said the new flights of Asian Spirit would further boost trade relations between the Philippines and South Korea by generating more businesses in Central Luzon. Mr. Luciano also said more airlines are expected to operate in Clark because of an executive order expected to be signed by President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo that would allow unlimited access at the DMIA. Currently, DMIA averages at least 54 flights per week. This is expected to increase due to the entry of Asian Spirit and Hong Kong Express, which recently restored open-chartered flights via its Clark-Hong Kong route using 164-seater Boeing 737-800 planes. Other airlines currently operating at DMIA are Asiana Airlines, Tiger Airways, Air Asia, China Southern Airline, South East Asian Airline (Seair) and Cebu Pacific. — Marian Grace S. Ramos, BusinessWorld