The Philippines and Australia will review on Friday their existing air service agreement, with plans to double the weekly seat allocation between them, the Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB) said.
In an interview on the sidelines of the AirAsia hub launching in Pasay on July 9, CAB Executive Director Carmelo Arcilla disclosed the plan.
“We’re looking to increase the seat entitlements from the current 30,000 to 60,000,” Arcilla said, citing a significant push to boost connectivity and tourism between the Philippines and Australia.
Arcilla said the Philippine government initiated talks with Australia to allow local airlines to expand operations and meet the increasing demand for travel between the two countries.
Data from the Department of Tourism (DOT) showed that tourist traffic between the Philippines and Australia reached 93,030 in the first quarter of the year, marking a 19 percent increase over the year-earlier level.
In July last year, the Philippines also expanded its air service agreement with South Korea.
The deal increased the weekly seat capacity between Manila and Incheon from 20,000 to 30,000 seats each way.
