Bacolod City Administrator, Atty. John Orola, yesterday appealed for Philippine Airlines to open international routes for Bacolod-Silay Airport.

According to Orola, he urged the airline to open routes to destinations including Hong Kong, Singapore, and South Korea in order to further boost tourist arrivals in the city.

The airport already services charter flights from Japan and South Korea, although Orola would like to see a regular service.

“The traffic in this area is very progressive,” Orola said.

PAL Vice President for Corporate Communications Josen Perez de Tagle, meanwhile, said the airline is always looking for opportunities to open Bacolod City to international destinations.

He cited the pros of opening a route from Bacolod City, such as the availability of slots, unlike in Manila, which already has congestion problems; a primary reason why they are looking to expand outside of their main hub.

However, an issue surrounding Bacolod-Silay Airport is the lack of fueling facilities.

De Tagle said he hopes the city government would help by constructing a fueling facility in order to operate international flights more efficiently.

Currently, a P238,495,000 budget has been set aside to further develop the airport, which covers the rehabilitation of the terminal building and runway extensions.

Meanwhile, Orola also pointed out, PAL’s primary rival, Cebu Pacific, already operates flights to Hong Kong and Singapore from Iloilo International Airport./DGB, WDJ