Civil Aeronautics Board Approves New Flights to Japan

Following the successful renegotiation last month of a new air service agreement between the Philippines and Japan, the Civil Aeronautics Board has finally reviewed and approved a series of applications submitted by various Philippine carriers for new flight routes to Japan. 

Copyright Photo: Ian Gabriel/PPSG

Of the new flight rights available, three airlines had applied to serve 14 flights per week between Manila and Haneda. But according to the Civil Aeronautics Board, the applications of PAL Express and Cebu Pacific were both disqualified as they are budget carriers without a business class product. Carmelo Arcilla, CAB Executive Director, stated that the Japanese government "clearly indicated" that the Haneda market was strictly for corporate and business travel as opposed to leisure leaving Philippine Airlines as the only qualified remaining applicant.

Philippine Airlines currently controls forty three percent of the total seat capacity between the Philippines and Japan. But that is about to change with the new agreement that permits unlimited flights between airports outside of Manila and Haneda. Cebu Pacific received the highest number of new flight entitlements which will easily help to increase the airline's current three percent share of the market. 

The following route applications submitted by Philippine carriers have been approved by the Civil Aeronautics Board:

Philippine Airlines

Manila to Narita (14 flights per week)

Manila to Haneda (14 flights per week)

PAL Express

Manila to Narita (14 flights per week)
Cebu to Narita  (7 flights per week)

Cebu Pacific

Manila to Narita (14 flights per week)
Manila to Nagoya (3 flights per week)
Manila to Fukuoka (7 flights per week)
Cebu to Narita (7 flights per week)
Cebu to Kansai (7 flights per week)
Cebu to Nagoya (7 flights per week)
Manila to Hiroshima (7 flights per week)
Manila to Sapporo (7 flights per week)
Manla to Okinawa (7 flights per week)
Manila to Ibaraki (7 flights per week )

AirAsia Zest

Manila to Narita (7 flights per week )
Manila to Osaka (7 fligts per week)
Manila to Nagoya (7 flights per week)
Kalibo to Nagoya (3 flights per week)
Kalibo to Osaka (4 flights per week )
Cebu to Osaka (4 flights per week )

TigerAir Philippines

Manila to Narita (14 flights per week)
Manila to Osaka (7 flights per week)
Clark to Narita (7 flights per week)
Clark to Osaka (7 flights per week)
Cebu to Narita (14 flights per week)
Kalibo to Narita (7 flights per week)

AirAsia Philippines

Manila to Narita (7 flights per week)
Manila to Osaka (7 flights per week)
Manila to Nagoya (7 flights per week)
Kalibo to Nagoya (3 flights per week )
Kalibo to Osaka (4 flights per week)
Cebu to Osaka (4 flights per week)

Tourism analysts are expecting the number of tourist arrivals from Japan to easily double and fares between the two countries to drop significantly as low cost carrier competition is gradually introduced on several of the routes. As Philippine carriers launch their new routes, it is quite likely that competitive fares and price wars will encourage more Japanese tourists to visit the Philippines leaving the door open for Japan to beat South Korea as the number one source of tourists arrivals. Arrivals from South Korea stand at just over one million while Japan contributed 412,000 arrivals in 2012.

Meanwhile, the airlines are preparing to launch their new services to Japan. Philippine Airlines plans to add two daily flights between Manila and Narita beginning October 27, 2013 while the two daily flights to Haneda are not expected to begin until March 30, 2014. 

Cebu Pacific will be increasing its existing three weekly flights between Manila and Osaka to daily service beginning this December. But flights between Manila and Narita will not begin until February 2014. Tokyo is presently the only major Asian capital that is not served by Cebu Pacific. The airline plans to break PAL's monopoly on the Manila-Fukuoka route in April 2014 when it introduces its new flights. In May 2014, it intends to become the first airline to operate a route between Manila and Okinawa when it introduces daily flights. In June 2014, the airline plans to launch three weekly flights between Manila and Nagoya which will likely be increased to daily. In October 2014, the airline will add service to Hiroshima and Sapporo. A launch date for services to Ibaraki has yet to be established. Routes from Cebu Pacific's Cebu hub to Narita, Osaka, Kansai, and Nagoya are all scheduled to begin in the fourth quarter of 2014.

AirAsia Zest has revealed that it plans to launch all of its new Japan routes by the end of 2013. This is likely to coincide with the arrival of new aircraft as the airline is expecting an additional three Airbus A320 aircraft to be delivered before the end of the year. TigerAir Philippines has not yet revealed a launch date for any of its six routes to Japan. This is likely due to the limited availability of aircraft. It is rumoured that the airline may lease an additional two Airbus aircraft in 2014 which would enable them to launch their routes to Japan next year.