OceanBreezeInn
07-09-2009, 05:02 PM
The two major domestic airlines confirmed on Thursday they had scuttled—not just reduced—all flights to Caticlan airport, the quickest way to get to Boracay, and diverted them all to Kalibo, which means passengers must take the 90-minute land trip from Kalibo to Caticlan to get to the resorts.
Both Philippine Airlines and Cebu Pacific, which suspended all flights to and from Caticlan following changes to airport operating conditions declared by the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (Caap) on Wednesday, said they will shoulder the cost of land transfers for previously booked passengers.
That would leave only Southeast Asian Airlines (Seair), whose smaller planes can still comply with the new runway rules, flying directly to and from Caticlan.
ZestAir, one of whose planes overshot the runway on June 25—an incident that triggered the runway rule changes—has since diverted all flights to Kalibo.
Caap, formerly the Air Transport Office, has designated Caticlan as a one-way airport for all carriers, i.e. takeoff should be towards the sea and landing in the opposite direction, on the recommendation of the International Civil Aviation Organization (Icao). A technical redefinition also in effect shortens the runway, despite its actual length, said Cebu Pacific in a statement on Thursday.
“We have therefore decided to divert all Caticlan flights to Kalibo instead and from there bus all our Boracay-bound passengers at no extra cost,” said Cebu Pacific president Lance Gokongwei. This took effect on July 9.
Source: business mirror (http://businessmirror.com.ph/home/companies/12941-airlines-passengers-hurt-by-caticlan-airport-ruling.html)
Both Philippine Airlines and Cebu Pacific, which suspended all flights to and from Caticlan following changes to airport operating conditions declared by the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (Caap) on Wednesday, said they will shoulder the cost of land transfers for previously booked passengers.
That would leave only Southeast Asian Airlines (Seair), whose smaller planes can still comply with the new runway rules, flying directly to and from Caticlan.
ZestAir, one of whose planes overshot the runway on June 25—an incident that triggered the runway rule changes—has since diverted all flights to Kalibo.
Caap, formerly the Air Transport Office, has designated Caticlan as a one-way airport for all carriers, i.e. takeoff should be towards the sea and landing in the opposite direction, on the recommendation of the International Civil Aviation Organization (Icao). A technical redefinition also in effect shortens the runway, despite its actual length, said Cebu Pacific in a statement on Thursday.
“We have therefore decided to divert all Caticlan flights to Kalibo instead and from there bus all our Boracay-bound passengers at no extra cost,” said Cebu Pacific president Lance Gokongwei. This took effect on July 9.
Source: business mirror (http://businessmirror.com.ph/home/companies/12941-airlines-passengers-hurt-by-caticlan-airport-ruling.html)