Philippines-based budget carrier operator Zest Airways Inc will soon expand its operations to Myanmar, after it bagged a third of the recently acquired seat entitlements to the Southeast Asian nation.
The Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB) earmarked 1,260 seats to Yangon for low-cost carrier AirAsia Zest, its CEO Joy D Caneba told Filipino media.
She noted, however, that the regulator has yet to issue its decision on her firm’s application for entitlements to Bangkok in Thailand.
“I am very happy with the decision of CAB to grant us 1,260 seats to Yangon but sadly, there is yet no decision on our application for Bangkok. Myanmar will be an alternative destination to Filipino tourists and Myanmar’s government to extend visa free privilege to Filipinos last year is a welcome support,” she was quoted in Business Mirror as saying.
Civil aviation regulators from both Myanmar and the Philippines signed a new air services pact in May, modernising the decades-old agreement signed last 1979.
The two nations agreed to a total of 3,780 seats per week or about three flights per day for each country between Manila and points in Myanmar.
The parties also agreed on unlimited traffic rights between all points in the Philippines, except Manila, and all points in Myanmar.
