Philippines eyes direct flights to Iceland

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippines has signed its first air service agreement (ASA) with Iceland, providing as many as seven flights weekly between the two countries to open the possibility of direct and connecting trips.

The Department of Transportation (DOTr) yesterday said it has firmed up an ASA with Iceland’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs to make way for air travel between the Philippines and Iceland.

Acting Transportation Secretary Giovanni Lopez said the ASA opens the opportunity for the two countries to explore direct and connecting flights.

The ASA allows the Philippines and Iceland to host seven flights a week for passenger and cargo aircraft. With traffic rights in hand, airlines from both countries can launch flight services based on commercial demand and viability.

Further, Lopez said the ASA can be spun off into a larger agreement if need be. The ASA is also expected to build up trade and tourism between the Philippines and Iceland.

As of 2021, there are only 2,241 Filipinos living in Iceland, based on data from Statistics Iceland. Still, Filipinos make up the largest Asian community in the country of only a little over 402,000 people.

Without a direct flight, a Filipino headed to Iceland will take roughly 30 hours of travel through layover connections. There are several Asian hubs that connect to Iceland, including China, the Middle East and Turkey.

Recently, the DOTr has been aggressive in expanding the air connections of the Philippines, as it is engaging in air talks with its foreign counterparts to scale up flight availability.