MORE PUERTO PRINCESA-KOTA KINABALU FLIGHTS LIKELY

KOTA KINABALU, Jan 28 (Bernama) -- The Southeast Asian Airlines (SEAir) now
flies the Puerto Princesa-Kota Kinabalu route twice a week, promising a more
upbeat outlook in tourism in the Brunei
Darussalam-Indonesia-Malaysia-Philippines East Asean Growth Area (BIMP-EAGA).

The Mindanao Economic Development Council (MEDCo) said the Philippines
domestic carrier, which made its inaugural Puerto Princesa-Kota Kinabalu flight
in November last year with a 32-seater Dornier 328 aircraft, will have flights
from Puerto Princesa to Kota Kinabalu, the capital of Malaysia's state of Sabah
every Tuesday and Friday, from the initial once-a-week schedule.

Puerto Princesa is the capital of Palawan, an island province of the
Philippines.

Puerto Princesa City Tourism Council (CTC) president Felisa Torres said
the route should be promoted intensively and marketed competitively for it to be
sustained.

Torres had said in an article that this is a welcome development that
will help boost the local economy.

SEAir president Avelino Zapanta had said in an article the airline
will look into increasing flight frequency on the route to twice weekly
in January depending on the response.

Meanwhile, their tourism counterpart in Sabah also showed the same
enthusiasm, citing a slight tourist increase from the Philippines to Sabah
during the first semester last year.

"We are very optimistic, with the strengthening of this air link, we can
further boost the tourism and economy of both countries and in turn fortify
efforts of the BIMP-EAGA cooperation," said MEDCo Undersecretary Virgilio
Leyretana.

MEDCo serves as the Philippine coordinating office for BIMP-EAGA in which
Mindanao in the Philippines and Palawan are the focus areas.

The SEAir inaugural flight on Nov 28 commenced from Clarkto Caticlan to
Puerto Princesa to Kota Kinabalu. Established in 1995, SEAIR started its
operations with two nine-seater airplanes.

To date, SEAir has flown almost three million passengers to 12 local tourist
destinations.

Leyretana said opening of another economic gateway in Palawan was "a
milestone in encouraging interest in Mindanao and Palawan as the Philippine
EAGA focus areas especially in tourism and trade.

The BIMP-EAGA is a major collaboration to boost the socio-economic
development among poor regions of member states by strengthening policies
that will enhance the movement of people and goods.

EAGA members are pushing for more regular air connections to link the
four countries to the rest of the world and accelerate the planned integration
of EAGA's tourism development.
-- BERNAMA