Philippines gains unlimited access to Bahrain airports

The Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) has declared the RP-Bahrain air talks held in Mactan, Cebu last Oct. 7 to 8 a success.

Under the new agreement, the Philippines will enjoy unlimited access into Bahrain airports. In exchange, Bahraini carriers were given more "flight frequencies" in the Philippines.

The DOTC said that the Philippines granted Bahrain five additional flight privileges into the Philippines. This include two weekly flight entitlements for the Manila-Bahrain route, one flight for the Bahrain-Cebu route, one Bahrain-Clark (via Diosdado Macapagal Airport) route and one flight from Bahrain to any destination in Manila.

Bahrain had requested for the air talks in view of the lucrative air travel market between the Philippines and Bahrain because of the massive deployment of overseas Filipino workers in the country.

Bahrain had originally asked for five additional flights a week from Bahrain to Manila but the Philippine Civil Aeronautics Board had opted to spread the three flight frequencies to Cebu, Clark and any point outside Metro Manila.

The DOTC said that despite gaining unlimited access to Bahrain airports, RP carriers are not using these flight entitlements yet.