Four Philippine carriers are seeking flight allocations to Russia following the forging of a successful air agreement between the two countries.
In separate petitions to the Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB), flag carrier Philippine Airlines and budget carriers Cebu Pacific, AirAsia Zest, and PAL Express (PALEx) are requesting to become official Philippine carriers and to get flight entitlements to Moscow and Khabarovsk.
The carriers said the applications are in accordance with the July 2015 confidential memorandum of understanding between the Philippines and Russia.
PAL seeks five flights a week between Manila and Moscow, three flights a week between Manila and Khabarovsk, and four flights a week between Cebu and Khabarovsk.
For the past two years, PAL as the designated carrier has been operating the Manila-Vladivostok and Kalibo-Vladivostok routes.
Sister airline PALEx has also requested to be a designated carrier to Russia.
Cebu Pacific, on the other hand, is seeking permission to operate thrice weekly flights between Manila and Moscow and between Manila and Vladivostok.
AirAsia Zest, meanwhile, is applying for four weekly flights between Kalibo and Vladivostok.
The new air agreement allows Philippine carriers to operate between any point in the country and three destinations in Russia, including Moscow. Under the agreement, major Russian carriers such as Aeroflot will also be able to market the Philippines as a destination using their wide network and alliances.
According to the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), another key benefit of the new agreement is the potential development of the Philippines as a destination for Russian cargo liners, providing a boost to bilateral trade and economic relations.
About 40,000 Russian tourists visit the country every year while more than 2 million travelers from Russia and the Commonwealth of Independent States visit other countries in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, according to DFA.
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