Silk Air Adds Kalibo in 2014

SilkAir, the regional subsidiary of Singapore Airlines, is planning to offer a three times weekly service between Singapore and Kalibo beginning in May of this year. The new service would make Kalibo SilkAir's third destination in the Philippines after Davao and Cebu.

Image Source: SilkAir

The flights are scheduled to begin on May 27, 2014 as a circular routing through Cebu. The new Kalibo route announcement was made alongside another announcement that SilkAir would also be opening service to Mandalay in Myanmar. 

"As the regional wing of Singapore Airlines, SilkAir plays a role to extend the Singapore Airlines Group Network by seeding and developing emerging destinations," said SilkAir CEO Leslie Thng. "We are excited to be adding both Kalibo and Mandalay to our network and are confident that they will be well received."

With the addition of the new service, passengers travelling from Kalibo will be able to connect to more than 90 cities out of Singapore in the SilkAir-Singapore Airlines network. The new services will be operated by Airbus A320 and A319 aircraft offering a selection of business and economy class seats. The SilkAir A319 aircraft are configured with 8 Business Class seats and 120 Economy seats while the A320 aircraft are configured with 12 Business Class and 138 Economy seats. 

SilkAir has been serving the Philippines for more than ten years. The airline will be competing directly with budget carrier Tigerair Philippines that currently operates a three times weekly service between Kalibo and Singapore on Sundays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. Kalibo is the capital of Aklan province and the gateway to one of Asia's most popular beach holiday destinations, Boracay Island. In a statement released to media, SilkAir said, "The island is known for its stunning white sandy beaches and crystal clear waters. Besides soaking up the sun on its beautiful beaches, Boracay also offers a wide array of land and sea activities." 

The new SilkAir service is still subject to necessary approvals. With the addition of Mandalay and Kalibo, SilkAir will increase its route network to 47 routes in the Asia Pacific region. Based upon 2012 MIDT data, there is an estimated bi-directional origin and destination market of approximately 7,000 annual passengers between Singapore and Kalibo.