SkyJet Launching Kalibo and Baler Flights This Month

SkyJet Airlines has announced that it will be launching new flights from Manila to Baler and Kalibo later this month. The new flights will complement SkyJet's existing route network that serves Coron, Caticlan, and Batanes.

Copyright Photo: Arthur Bellosillo III/PPSG

According to a recent posting on SkyJet's Facebook page, the boutique leisure airline will launch flights to Kalibo, one of the major gateways to Boracay Island, beginning August 15, while flights to Baler will begin on August 17.

SkyJet's service to Baler is welcome news for both tourists and residents as it will be the only direct air link to and from Manila. The trip, which usually takes four to five hours by land, can now be completed in just twenty minutes by air. Flights will be operated every Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday with base fares starting as low as P1,600 plus applicable taxes and surcharges.

The Baler flights will land at Dr. Juan C. Angara Airport, which serves the general area of Baler, which is the capital of Aurora province. Although the airport serves Baler, it is actually located in the neighbouring municipality of San Luis. The last carrier to operate flights to the airport was Southeast Asian Airlines, which offered charter flights using a LET L-410 aircraft. 

Although the regularly scheduled flights to Baler will not begin until August 17, SkyJet has already completed its maiden flight. Senator Ed Angara was one of the first passengers to join the new service. According to Angara, with the new flights operated by SkyJet, the travel time between Manila and Baler continues to get shorter. "When I was first elected as Aurora representative in 2004, it used to take me nine to ten hours to travel to Metro Manila," said Angara. "But since the road was improved, the journey here has really shortened to four or five hours."

The shorter travel time to Baler is creating new opportunities for the town to take advantage of the growing tourism industry with travellers coming from all over to experience the beauty of this coastal town. "As they say, this is how the Philippines looked in the 1960's, before all the trees were cut down," said Angara. "The sea is very clean. So, I think this is what people appreciate here. It's an escape from the urban jungle, so to speak."

The town of Baler is also the birthplace of President Manuel Quezon. It faces the Pacific Ocean with sloping mountains following the contour of its beautiful coastline. Baler claims to be the birthplace of Philippine surfing, with not only the oldest, but largest surfing community in the country. In addition to surfing, tourists can enjoy beautiful beaches, whale sharks, and dolphin watching. 

According to Tourism Secretary Ramon Jimenez, Baler is one of the most breathtaking regions of the Philippines. "I have seen much of the world in my travels," said Jimenez. "I may not have seen everything, but I have seen enough to know that places like Baler in Aurora are right up there on the list of the most breathtaking vistas of mountains, sea and plant life folded into a spectacular life drama from almost every vantage point. I take this as proof that some way, somehow, God also had fun in the Philippines."

SkyJet will be operating flights to both Baler and Kalibo using its 79-seat British Aerospace Bae 146-100 aircraft. The carrier, which markets itself as "the airline of the stars," has earned a popular reputation among passengers for its full service experience. "SkyJet sells experience, not only seats," said Dino Chua, President of SkyJet Airlines. "We are not a low-cost carrier." Passengers travelling on SkyJet enjoy complimentary baggage, beverages, and even light snacks.