Panglao airport welcomes Royal Air
Credit to Author: BENJIE VERGARA, TMT| Date: Tue, 01 Oct 2019 16:32:00 +0000
BOHOL: Panglao International Airport (BPIA) welcomed Royal Air Philippines inaugural flight from Hong Kong.
The chartered flight, carrying 150 passengers including two infants, seven crew members and a mechanic, arrived safely in the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines’ (CAAP) operated airport located in the Central Visayan province on Monday afternoon.
CAAP spokesman Eric Apolonio said the inaugural flight was welcomed by a water cannon salute courtesy of the BPIA Aircraft Rescue and Firefighting team.
Apolonio added that the scheduled Royal Air Philippines Hong Kong-Bohol-Hong Kong flights will be flying to and from the airport twice a week, Mondays and Fridays, starting September 30.
According to CAAP Area Manager Rafael Tatlonghari, several international airlines have manifested interest in operating at BPIA, mostly chartered flights from China, Korea and Taiwan.
Inaugurated by President Rodrigo Duterte on Nov. 27, 2018, BPIA was opened to help decongest the old Tagbilaran Airport.
With Bohol’s booming tourism industry, demand for flights is expected to continuously grow. And with BPIA’s opening and service expansion, new doors have been opened not just for the tourism sector but for other areas of the province’s economy.
Apolonio said the airport, which opens from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. since September 1 this year, is currently accommodating 17 flights daily from one international and five domestic airlines.
Royal Air Philippines is a Philippine registered budget airline. It was established on Aug. 22, 2002 as a chartered airline.
The airline currently operates a fleet of three BAe 146-100 jets and an Airbus A319-100 aircraft.
The airline company provides domestic and international non-scheduled airline and cargo services to Manila, Batanes, Cauayan, Clark, Cebu, Laoag, Kalibo, Maconacon, San Vicente (Palawan) and Macau.