ILOILO City – Mayor Jerry Treñas reiterated his request for airline companies to resume direct flights from Iloilo to Singapore and Hong Kong and vice versa at the Iloilo Airport in Cabatuan town.
Yesterday morning, Treñas cited the requests he received from Ilonggos working in Singapore and Hong Kong for the return of direct flights.
“Many of our kababayans working in Singapore and Hong Kong are asking me to lobby for the return of these flights,” read part of Treñas’ statement.
The city mayor will also request the airlines for additional flights to and from Iloilo to help reduce the airplane fare which he said is “very expensive.”
“I will be writing the airlines to add more flights to and from Iloilo. The airplane fares have become very expensive. We need more flights to and from Iloilo to lower the plane fares and make them more affordable to everyone,” Treñas said.
Last March, Treñas sent a letter to Philippine Airlines, Air Asia and Cebu Pacific to increase the number of flights, both international and domestic, to and from the Iloilo Airport.
More flights will provide more convenience to travelers, boost the tourism industry, and contribute to the prosperity of the local community, he explained.
Treñas further cited the influx of requests from overseas Filipino workers and constituents with outbound flights to Singapore and Hong Kong whose travel needs are unmet caused by long queues at the Bureau of Immigration counters and exorbitant travel expenses associated with multiple bookings on connecting flights.
“It is really time for airlines to look at Iloilo, to see that we are moving forward. We are getting a lot of visitors,” he stressed.
He added efficient and accessible air travel is crucial in supporting the growth of the economy, particularly in these times when Iloilo City is welcoming an influx of visitors for conferences and events.
Just recently, 900 barangay officials from Batangas visited Iloilo for a conference but had a hard time booking their flights. The city mayor noted while tourism continues to be one of the sectors hit hardest by the coronavirus pandemic, the economic landscape in this southern city perceives a continuing travel boom to the Asia-Pacific Region.
“It would seemingly show that demand for travel has not dampened consumers looking to make up for time lost to COVID-19 pandemic. Amid the ongoing health crisis, Ilonggos have rebounded strongly and increased the demand for international travel. All these considered, the tourism industry here is on the road to recovery,” Treñas added.
The Iloilo Airport caters to 39 commercial flights daily (19 arrivals and 19 departures) from Iloilo to Metro Manila and vice versa on a regular basis, according to Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP)-Iloilo terminal supervisor Arthur Parreño.
The airport also caters to commercial flights with routes Iloilo-General Santos and vice versa, Iloilo-Davao and vice versa, and Iloilo-Cebu and vice versa, but intermittently, or every Tuesday and Thursday, or Monday-Wednesday and Friday only./PN
