Zest Air Inaugurates Korea flight

Suspends Cebu and Zamboanga hub to address fleet shortage

December 6, 2009

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Zest Airways: the latest Zest Air Airbus 320 flies from Kalibo to Incheon starting Dec. 4
Kalibo, Aklan - Zest Air launched an inaugural flight to Incheon, South Korea from Kalibo International Airport (KIA) at 8AM Friday carrying 170 passengers [and crews] after successful launching Clark-Hong Kong flight.

Ambassador Alfredo M. Yao, Zest Air’s president and chief executive officer, said that “the opening of the Incheon, Korea route, just like the Hong Kong route, is part of the airline’s expansion program to Southeast Asian regions. After these new routes, Zest Air is expected to boost its market dominance by planning to fly to Shanghai, Japan, and Singapore.” Seoul is the third international destination launched by the airline in the span of 3 months.

The inaugural chartered flight carried media representatives from Korean publication companies and officials from the tourism industry, and Zest Air executives.

The airline is scheduled to fly two regular flights every week on Mondays and Fridays with two more flights added starting December 20 making it a four (4) times a week flight up to February 7, 2010.

Zest Air will be utilizing its brand new 168 seater Airbus 320 for the route. Among the privileges of this new route include affordable introductory fares, baggage allowance of 20 kilos per person and free in flight meals and refreshments.

The launch of the Korea flight has already affected the regular schedule of the airline fleet affecting flight schedules to Cebu, Kalibo and Zamboanga as aircraft rotation are stretched to the limit prompting the airline to downgrade some routes on affected dates and discontinue some of its domestic destination for the meantime to cover the Caticlan bound passengers to Kalibo in December and service the overbooked international flight to Seoul until additional aircraft joined their fleet next year.

Flight schedules are as follows:
Kalibo-Incheon – December 4 to December 19, 2009 – expected time of departure, 1 a.m.; expected time of arrival, 6:30 a.m., Mondays and Fridays.
Incheon-Kalibo – December 4 to December 19, 2009, expected time of departure, 8:25 a.m.; expected time of arrival, ll:55 a.m.
Kalibo-Incheon-December 20, 2009 onwards- ETD, 1 a.m.; ETA: 6:30 a.m., Monday, Thursday, Friday, Sunday
Incheon-Kalibo-December 20 onwards-ETD, 8:25 a.m.; ETA, 11:55 a.m., Monday, Thursday, Friday, Sunday.

Zest Air flies to 20 destinations to and from Manila and Cebu hub. These include Boracay via Kalibo, Bacolod, Busuanga, Calbayog, Catarman, Clark, Cebu, Davao, Iloilo, Legaspi, Manila, Marinduque, Naga, Puerto Princesa, San Jose, Mindoro, Tablas, Tacloban, Tagbilaran, Virac and Zamboanga. Zest Air also started flying from Clark to Hong Kong and Zamboanga to Sandakan, Malaysia last October, 2009.

The airline said that they will resume their operations in Cebu and Zamboanga next year after sending the Cebu-based MA-60 to Manila to address the capacity shortage for its flight to Kalibo which has been registering upsurge of passengers this holiday season. The additional MA-60 will cover for the meantime the frequency of the 3rd A320 that is sent to service Seoul flight.

Meanwhile, Zest air is awaiting delivery of additional 3 MA-60 from Xian and 2 more A320 from Airbus as part of the airlines expansion plan which is scheduled to joined their fleet next year. Two planes are supposed to joined their fleet this year but delivery was deferred by the airline next year. The three MA-60 will be used to service more of its domestic route while the two airbus planes will be used for international flights to Shanghai, Japan, and Singapore.

4 comments:

  1. how can a 168 seat airplane be carrying 170 passengers? ? ?

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  2. I think that should be passengers and crew. Wait, let me verify it.

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  3. We have just arrived from Kalibo to Manila via Zest Air. I really admire the Cabin crew for being so accomodating and I will look forward to fly again with this Air Bus.

    Thank you Zest Air...
    Boracay Dribblers.....

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  4. I really like the flight Stewardes for being so cute and sexy...

    I'm looking forward to meet one of them in the near future...I love you Grace of Isla de Boracay Resort... Station 2, Malay, Boracay

    Thank you very much,
    Arnold de Castro of Con-Air Pacific Demon's Team

    ReplyDelete