DOT Secretary Christina Garcia-Frasco (6th from left) with Turkish Airlines executives during a meeting to request for more additional flights to Manila.
Emirates, Turkish airlines reps meet Frasco
To add more flights to Manila
REPRESENTATIVES of Emirates Airlines have sought the assistance of Department of Tourism (DOT) Secretary Christina Garcia-Frasco to increase flights from Dubai to Manila and vice versa, especially this holiday season.
With the Philippines easing of travel restrictions, last February 10, 2022, Emirates Airlines Senior Manager Sarah Brookes said the country is seen to generate record growth in visitors.
Brookes highlighted the huge potential of inbound tourism for the country as more and more tourists see the Philippines as a desirable destination for holidays and vacations.
Brookes said she hoped they could increase their regular flights to the current setup of 18 flights per week.
Emirates also pushed for the operation of their flagship A380 aircraft to and from Manila.
Frasco said that she understands the necessity and the urgency of ensuring the well-being of airline carriers, who are more than willing to provide more flights for passengers to and from the country.
She further shared that airlines hold the key to fully maximizing the potential to open up the Philippines to the world.
Meanwhile, Frasco also met with representatives of Turkish Airlines as the latter hopes to renew their commitment to work with the Department of Tourism (DOT) in bringing tourists to and from Istanbul, Turkey to the Philippines.
Turkish Airlines Philippines General Manager Huzeyfe Akhan, together with Sales Manager Joana Marie Santos, Operations Manager Santille Buhat, Corporate Sales Executive Vina Patricia Laurena, Marketing Executive Christine Larena, and Sales Executive Jannelle Gatus, represented Turkish Airlines while Tourism Undersecretaries Cocoy Jumapao and Shalimar Hofer Tamano accompanied Frasco in the meeting.
Turkish Airlines is conducting regular flights from Istanbul to Manila and vice versa, with some of their aircraft servicing the Cebu International Airport on a temporary basis.
The meeting hopes to ensure that Turkish Airlines will receive the support they can get from the tourism industry so they can operate their flights to and from Cebu on a regular basis.
