MANILA: Budget airline Cebu Air Inc (Cebu Pacific) and Tiger Airways Philippines have cancelled 149 chartered flights to and from mainland China starting this month after the Chinese government issued an advisory warning against travel to the Philippines.
Jorenz Tañada, vice president for corporate affairs of Cebu Pacific, said the cancellation of flights as requested by China-based companies from September to December would affect 24,138 passengers and forgo P284m in potential tourism revenues.
“We estimate impact on tourism revenue would be P284m, assuming tourists were to stay four days in the Philippines and spend an average of $66 per day,” he said.
However, Tañada clarified that the Gokongwei-led airline would continue to operate scheduled commercial flights from Manila to Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Xiamen.
“We regret that there is an existing travel advisory issued by the People’s Republic of China to the Philippines and hope that it will be lifted at the soonest possible time,” he added.
The Chinese government issued an advisory last Sept 12 warning its citizens not to travel to the Philippines after a Chinese teenager who worked in a family-run store was kidnapped.
The advisory was also issued amid plots that criminal groups are planning to attack the Chinese embassy and companies, as well as airports and shopping malls.
THE PHILIPPINE STAR
