MAASIN CITY, Southern Leyte, (PIA) — Executives of an established airline company visited this city Tuesday and held exploratory talks with government officials, including the private sector, to have air transportation hereabouts viable and sustainable.
At the Kinamot sa Abgao where the discussion was held, Rabbi Ang and Joseph Tan, both of Philippine Airlines (PAL) Express, and Dan Quines Moquia of PAL-Tacloban, made no commitments just yet, but stressed that everything will have to be duly studied, and will go through technical and marketing processes.
But they already gave a hint on the number of people to ride, saying the Q 400 aircraft that can be dispatched can carry 76 passengers, excluding the crew.
How much would be the fare will also be announced later, they said.
They also said that following their visit will be an ocular inspection by PAL’s technical team, whose findings and other necessary details would be relayed to Gov. Roger Mercado and the leaders of local businesses who attended the meeting.
The attendees included Epifania Sy, President of Southern Leyte Chamber of Commerce and Industry and proprietor of Panny’s Home Bake Products, and Phil Mcguire, a dive resort owner of Padre Burgos and President, Tourism Association of Southern Leyte (TASL).
From the public sector, aside from Gov. Mercado, those present were Nedgar Garvez, provincial Tourism Officer, and Mike Nunez, provincial director of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI).
Provincial Fiscal Atty. Antonino Ruiz was also around, in his capacity as head of the Rotary Club of the province.
“There is already an airline willing to come here needing our support,” Gov. Mercado remarked.
Last year, another airline company, Cebu Pacific, sent a letter to Gov. Mercado, listing some observations of their technical team to be addressed in time for their new fleet to fly the Maasin airport route by the first quarter of 2017.
The PAL exploratory talks generated more than 70 shares in under 24 hours since pictures of the meeting was posted at PIA-Southern Leyte’s facebook account, with many commenting for it to be realized sooner for a fast, safe, and convenient travel in and out of the province.
The story of the Cebu Pacific interest to consider the Maasin airport also gathered positive feedback upon posting, the story itself picked up by other news organizations.
