SEAIR Solidifies grip at Caticlan Airport

Launches more flights to Boracay, Palawan, and Batanes

September 21, 2009

In anticipation of the increased tourist traffic during the holiday season, Southeast Asian Airlines (SEAIR) is reopening its paradise-to-paradise routes from Puerto Princesa, Palawan to Boracay (Caticlan) and vice versa effective October 16, 2009. Flights are scheduled every Tuesday and Friday. SEAIR is also restoring its Manila – El Nido, Palawan - Manila routes starting November 18, 2009, with flights every Wednesday and Sunday. Tickets can now be purchased for Puerto Princesa and El Nido flights.

SEAIR has announced that it will increase flights to Basco, Batanes from four times weekly to daily starting October 12, 2009. The airline will also increase flights to Caticlan to up to 32 flights per day effective October 15, 2009 and onwards. Presently, SEAIR has up to 27 flights a day to this famed beach destination.

SEAIR is currently the only airline flying direct to Caticlan and Batanes. SEAIR’s fleet of DO328’s and LET410’s have proven very good performance in short runways. “Our aircraft, the Dornier 328 and LET L-410, are both capable of Short Take-Off and Landing (STOL). They are aerodynamically designed in a way that it is capable of landing and taking off in about 750 meters with full pay load. These aircraft are the most appropriate for small runways where bigger commercial airplanes cannot land,” said Avelino Zapanta, SEAIR president.

Boracay and Palawan have been ranked among Asia’s top ten vacation hotspots. Boracay is well-known for its powdery white sands and crystal clear waters. Palawan is rated by the National Geographic Traveler Magazine as the best island destination in Southeast Asia and the 13th in the world for its "incredibly beautiful natural seascapes and landscapes." The El Nido Marine Reserve Park is one of the island’s most famous tourist spots.

The Batanes island group, lying at the northernmost tip of the Philippines has a distinct landscape unlike any other island in the country. During the winter months from December to February, the cool temperate weather combined with green pastures, windmills on rolling hills and lighthouses guarding immaculate shorelines give visitors a sense of a holiday in the countryside of Europe.

SEAIR is the nation's second-oldest airline and has flown almost 3 million passengers to local destinations including Cebu, Tablas (Romblon), Clark, Zamboanga, Jolo, and Tawi-tawi.