Next Battleground

18 March 2015

Oman will be the next battleground in the Middle East for Philippine-based carriers as they wrestle for the next 3 slots for Manila next month.

Both Philippine Airlines (PAL) and Cebu Pacific (CEB) got two entitlements to Muscat while Oman Air (OMA) got four to Manila being the sole flag carrier of the Gulf State.

Oman Air currently flies the route thrice a week and is the lone operator on this sector.

Cebu Pacific has already filed with Philippine regulators application to fly Muscat twice weekly this year after securing licenses to fly Qatar.

The airline is bent on securing the new entitlements that would be made available on April 6 after the Sultanate of Oman and the Philippines discusses amendments to Air Services Agreement it reached in 2013.

Philippine Airlines however intend to block expansion plans saying that the current Manila capacity is enough to service the market.

Flights to Manila are currently limited to four times a week.

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