By: Carla P. Gomez - Correspondent / @carlagomezINQ Inquirer Visayas / 10:44 AM May 30, 2019

Senator Juan Miguel Zubiri and Rep. Alfredo Abelardo Benitez of Negros Occidental’s 3rd District have been pushing for a third airline to ply the Manila to Bacolod-Silay Airport route to help bring down airfare.

Businessman Eduardo Alunan has been lobbying for the entry of a third airline to serve the needs of Negrenses, saying the airfare of the two airlines that fly to the Bacolod Silay Airport are excessive.

“This advocacy was borne out of desperation over the predatory rates of Cebu Pacific and Philippine Airlines, whose round trip rates are as high as P14,000 and P17,000 respectively,” Alunan said.

Those rates are more expensive than regional flights, he added.

Zubiri told the Inquirer that Congress has recently approved several franchise applications for airlines.

“I will reach out to them to fly the Manila-Negros route with hopefully, better rates than what we are suffering now,” Zubiri added.

Benitez said he has informed the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) of the call for a third airline to ply the Manila-Negros Occidental route.

General Manager Ed Monreal of the Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA), in reply to Benitez query, said another airline interested in plying the Manila-Negros Occidental route has to file an application through the MIAA, CAAP and Civil Aeronautics Board.

However, the problem lies in the availability of aircraft slots at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport because of runway congestion, Benitez was told. (Editor: Leti Boniol)