|
THE fleeting program of Southeast Asian Airlines (SEAIR)
hit a snag after bigger rivals in the domestic market opposed the
newbie’s tie-up with Tiger Airways.
Avelino Zapanta, SEAIR president
and chief executive, said the delivery of two Airbus A320s has been
delayed for two months because of the opposition filed by airline
carriers before the Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB).
Last September SEAIR signed a
lease agreement with Tiger Airways for the two brand-new 180-seater
Airbus A320 aircraft. The airline will employ an additional 100
Filipino technical professionals, including pilots and cabin crew,
to run its expanded operation.
The carrier was already in the
process of recruiting 18 additional pilots and 32 flight attendants
before the expansion plan was put off.
“Their ground of opposition is
the speculation that SEAIR is being used by Tiger Airways to access
domestic operations, which is completely false,” Zapanta told
reporters.
He said Cebu Pacific, Philippine
Airlines, Asian Spirit and Air Philippines have filed separate
oppositions before the CAB.
“Their fertile imagination is
being given credence by the CAB,” he added.
Zapanta explained that the tie up
with Tiger Airways is only a business relationship, whereby SEAIR
will lease two aircrafts from the Singapore-based low cost carrier.
In addition, he said, SEAIR will
use Tiger Airways’ distributing system products.
“[The expansion will be
delayed] until such time that the [leased agreement] is approved, we
definitely can’t begin. But somehow this will be resolved. The
elections fever is seemingly overshadow[ing] everything,” he
added.
The new aircraft will be used to
fly to Singapore and Macau from Clark, and double passenger traffic
from 225,000 at present.
Zapanta also said that SEAIR
plans to fly to Korea, Taiwan and Japan.
The airline will acquire four
aircraft to retire its smaller planes.
“We are thinking to acquire
four higher density aircrafts to replace our LET 410, a 19-seater
plane,” he said.
“It’s under evaluation right
now, but it will be this year,” he added.
Currently, SEAIR has a total of
11 aircraft, of which, four are Dornier 328 and seven, Let 410 UVP-E.
It flies to 18 domestic routes including Caticlan (Boracay) and Cebu
in Visayas; Clark in Northern Luzon; Busuanga, Cuyo, El Nido, Puerto
Princesa and Rodriguez in Palawan; and Camiguin, Cotobato, Zamboanga,
Jolo, Tawi-Tawi in Mindanao
The company posted a net income
of P29 million last year from P17 million in 2005.
“We’re doing alright, that is
why we are expanding. [T]he last two years have been profitable,”
Zapanta said.
 --Darwin
G. Amojelar
|
