Tourism industry hails Cebu Pacific’s Davao hub

Davao City — The tourism industry players welcome the decision of turning Davao as the third hub of Cebu Pacific Air.

Business leader Mary Ann Montemayor said they encourage more airlines to fly from Davao to other parts of the world to increase more tourists.

She said this will help the industry especially when there will be continuous access with the BIMP EAGA where some aircrafts are considering.

“This is a very laudable move,” she stressed.

In a earlier report Cebu Pacific Air announced on Monday through its president and chief executive officer Lance Y. Gokongwei of the company’s plan to make the city a hub.

It will field an Airbus A-319 aircraft, a 150 seater plane at the Davao International Airport in order to intensify its promotion of the city as a third hub.

Davao will be the airline’s hub after Manila and Cebu as Gokongwei said Davao could become a major tourist destination in the asian region.

Flights between Davao and Hong Kong and Davao and Singapore are all via Cebu.

Meanwhile Philipine Airlines (PAL) senior vice president for Mindanao Atty Domingo Duerme said they are looking into the Davao HongKong route which Cebu Pacific has started.

But he said the plan is still being studied as to the market, availability of aircrafts, and profitability.

He said if they open that route it would be ideal for a direct route at twice weekly frequency.

“Kaya lang medyo manipis ang traffic that’s why it is still being carefully studied,” he said.