Airline regulator OKs Seair international, domestic routes

By: Eric B. Apolonio, InterAksyon.com
November 30, 2011 2:52 PM

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MANILA, Philippines -- The Civil Aviation Board (CAB) has granted leisure air carrier operator Seair its Airline Operators Certificate (AOC) to mount flights in domestic and international routes.

On November 29, CAB approved the airline’s request after Seair submitted its new marketing agreement without the questionable provisions of its partnership agreement with Tiger Airways of Singapore.

CAB executive director lawyer Carmelo Arcilla said that “to the mind of the board, (submission of a new marketing agreement) becomes a clean slate. But we have to be very extra vigilant, and the board will monitor the collaboration of Seair and Tiger, making sure that the new marketing agreement is truly reflective of the new marketing agreement and in accordance with the true accepted norms.”

Earlier, CAB halted the implementation of a marketing deal between Tiger Airways and Seair because it violated the Cabotage law, or the rules covering the transport of goods or passengers within the same country.

Arcilla said that the object is to determine the true relationship between Tiger and Seair. The cease and desist order is ancillary to the original complaints, he added.

Under the deal, Seair will use Tiger Airways’ website for the sale, booking, and reservation of the Philippine carrier’s flights using aircraft leased from the Singaporean airline. The aircraft would be used for the Manila-Cebu and Manila-Davao routes.

Seair had entered a lease agreement with Tiger Airways for two Airbus aircraft that will be used for regional flights, particularly to Bangkok, Hong Kong, and Macau.

The cease and desist order was in response to a complaint filed by PAL, Cebu Pacific, Air Philippines, and Zest Air.

The Seair approval was ratified last October 27 by the board and becomes final and executory after a board resolution was signed by the three other members of the CAB board namely: Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) represented by its Director General Ramon Gutierrez, Department of Tourism (DoT) Daniel G. Corpuz, who is Undersecretary and Tourism Planning and Promotions, and Department of Transportation and Communication (DOTC) Undersecretary for Legal Jose Perpetuo Lotilla.

Seair, the nation's second oldest airline, has flown nearly 3 million passengers to local destinations including Boracay via Caticlan, Batanes, El Nido, Tablas in Romblon, Vigan, and Clark. It also flies from Manila and Clark to Caticlan.Flights to Macau are mounted five days a week; twice daily from Clark to Singapore, and three times a week from Clark to Bangkok.

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