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By Darwin G. Amojelar, Reporter
HIGHER fuel surcharges notwithstanding,
international passenger traffic flow in the Philippines slightly
went up during the first quarter of the year, the Civil Aeronautics
Board (CAB) said Tuesday.
Data from CAB showed that international
passenger traffic rose 10.9 percent to 3.08 million in the first
three months of the year from 2.78 million in the same period last
year.
In 2007, international passenger traffic was up
by 10.85 percent to 11.23 million from 10.13 million passengers in
2006.
Of the total, incoming passengers were up by 11
percent to 1.45 million while outgoing passengers stood at 1.64
million from 1.47 million.
The airline regulator said of the 42 airline
carriers with authority to operate in the country, only 32 airlines
operated during the period. The CAB said Air Nauru, Vietnam Airlines
and British Airways ceased flying to the Philippines in 2001
followed by Swissair, Egyptair, Air France and P.T. Bouraq in 2004.
The country’s flag carrier Philippine Airlines
(PAL) registered the highest number of international passenger flown
with 910,508, an 8.5 percent increase from last year’s 839,003
passengers. PAL’s incoming passengers traffic stood at 422,139,
while outgoing passengers reached 488,369.
Cebu Pacific, on the other hand, carried 338,246
international passengers, higher by 66 percent from 202,994 in the
same period last year. Of the total, incoming passengers stood at
160,776 and outgoing, 175,470.
Asian Spirit has zero-passenger during the
period.
Other airlines with higher number of passengers
from January to March were Cathay Pacific with 355,496; Northwest
Airlines, 138,053; Singapore Airlines, 137,953; Korean Air, 122,180;
Emirates Air, 107,070; Japan Airlines, 115,158; Thai Airways,
88,749; China Airlines, 70,393; Gulf Air, 70,516; and Asiana
Airlines, 65,199.
Continental Micronesia, which announced its plan
to stop the Saipan-Manila flights because of higher jet fuel prices,
posted a decline in passenger traffic by 0.9 percent to 24,177 from
24,394 in the same period last year.
Earlier, CAB has granted the request of local
and foreign airline companies to impose higher fuel surcharge to
recover losses.
PAL has implemented higher surcharge for China
flights, $54 to $58; Korea, $34 to $54; Singapore, $29 to $34;
Indonesia, $50 to $74; Hong Kong, $35 to $40; Macau, $35 to $40; and
US/Canada, $119 to $129.
The CAB also approved the application for higher
fuel surcharge of Northwest Airlines to $70 from $40; Gulf Air, to
$80 from $55; Silk Air, to $95 from $80; and Singapore Airlines, to
$35 from $30.
Porvenir Porciuncula, CAB deputy executive
director and head of economic planning, had projected that
international passenger traffic would grow 6 percent this year from
10 percent this year owing to the expected global economic slowdown
and high oil prices.
He added the growth of international passengers
is expected to grow despite economic slowdown in the United States
because of higher demand in the region, particularly in China.
Domestic air travel in the Philippines expanded
14 percent to 2.73 million in the first three months of the year
from 2.39 million in the same period last year.
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