By Dominique Gabriel G. Bañaga

With the daily scheduled flights to Manila and Cebu now slowly returning, Negros Occidental’s provincial administrator, Atty. Rayfrando Diaz, revealed that they are now eyeing the resumption of flights connecting the Bacolod-Silay Airport to Clark International Airport in Pampanga.

According to Diaz, prior to the pandemic the route was operated by Philippine Airlines and Cebu Pacific with a load factor average of 60 percent.

Diaz said the tentative resumption of the scheduled flights to Clark will be sometime around the third week of December.

However, he noted that the airline companies are also cautious about resuming the flights fearing that they could lose money if there are only few passengers flying the route.

“With the pandemic, they are currently not sure if they could hit the 60 percent load factor,” Diaz explained.

The provincial administrator added that the provincial government offered to both airlines if they could switch some of their flights originating from Manila with Clark for increased traffic at the Bacolod-Silay Airport, but the airline companies refused pointing out Manila is still more viable for them.

Based on the proposed resumption of trips, the flight from Clark bound for Bacolod can leave between 8:00 a.m. and 10:00 p.m. and the Bacolod to Clark flight can leave early afternoon.

Diaz said airline companies can operate three flights depending on which day they would choose.

“So kung tatlo ka flights, that is six flights tani nga plano naton buksan,” Diaz explained.

He added resuming the Clark-Bacolod-Clark route would offer another option and make the Negrenses’ travels easier, comfortable, and cheaper./DGB, WDJ