Cebu Pacific to fly to Singapore, Seoul next mo

Cebu Pacific will fly next month to Singapore and Seoul, following its successful Hong Kong commercial service.

"This is proof that President Arroyo’s government is committed to a market economy and opening up opportunities to new players," Lance Gokongwei, Cebu Pacific president, said.

To mount its international flights, the airline, Gokongwei said, has invested initially $100 million in new aircraft, personnel training, and new equipment. "New investments are the result of a well-envisioned open-market policy."

Ultimately, he said it is the flying public that would benefit from the additional service Cebu Pacific will offer, "in the same way they benefited when we came into the domestic service in 1996 with our low-fare, great-value philosophy."

"Our service is just the start. What is not apparent now is that the whole country will benefit from having multiple flag carriers when our economy starts to mend with the rest of the world in terms of more tourists, and possibly investors," he said.

Tourism and commercial airline service always go together, he said. Easy access encourages tourists to fly in, stay in hotels, eat in restaurants, and buy local products.

Gokongwei said transportation and Communications Secretary Pantaleon Alvarez has been actively opening up new routes to new players, not just Cebu Pacific.

"This is really a partnership between the government and the private sector and this model should be welcomed because it will definitely give long-term benefits to the nation," he said.

Gokongwei said the first of the two Boeing 757s Cebu Pacific is acquiring for its international service is scheduled to arrive next week. They should start flying their routes by the third week of the month.