Zest Air Opens Cebu and Zamboanga Hub

Expects 2 more A320 Delivery by October

August 25, 2009

Zest Airways. The airline is scheduled to receive 2 more brand new Airbus 320 and 3 additional MA-60 this year as initial part of the company's $150 million capital investment program.

Budget airline Zest Airways Inc. (Zest Air) announces the opening of Mactan-Cebu and Zamboanga hub this October as it recommence Visayas and Mindanao services as well as re-introduce flight to Sandakan.

The airline expects to receive its 6th MA-60 from Xian Corporation of China to serve the southern routes of Surigao and Siargao, and from Cebu hub with routes to Bacolod, Iloilo, Davao, Cagayan de Oro, and Zamboanga hub with onward connections to Sandakan.

Meanwhile Zest Air will start flight from Manila-Clark to Hong Kong in October 24 (September 21 originally) to formally make DMIA its hub for its international flight operations with Seoul, Shanghai, Singapore, Macau, and Bangkok to be added later when two more brand new A320 join the airline fleets in October. The opening of the Hong Kong route is a part of the airline’s expansion program to Southeast Asian regions after acquiring its third Airbus 320. It will have the airline operating 5 A320 by yearend.

The introductory one-way fare to Hong Kong is $70 USD inclusive of taxes and surcharges but exclusive of international charges and country travel tax.

"With our plans to expand our operation to the Southeast Asian region, it becomes necessary to grow our fleet size" says Alfredo M. Yao, President and CEO of Zest Air.

Donald Dee, Zest Air chairman, however said that the new fleet acquisition would be serving new domestic destinations as well as existing trunkline routes in the meantime while it weathers the aviation slump in Asia-Pacific region.

Zest Air’s intends to fly Boeing 767-300 which will arrive next year to Kuwait and Abu Dhabi while its request is being processed for approval by Kuwaiti and Emirates governments. It is also applying for rights to fly to Australia also with the use of Boeing 767 slated for delivery next year which will culminate its $150 million investments.

Asiawide Airways controls Zest Airways of the Philippines which is a subsidiary company of AMY Holdings controlled by Alfredo Yao.