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New Singapore ASA talks fails

As Philippines refused further grant of fifth freedom rights out of Manila

August 17, 2012


Air talks between the Philippines and Singapore bogged down Thursday because of unresolved issues involving fifth freedom rights particularly to North Asia.

"Parties could not agree on 5th freedom traffic rights. The parties adjourned tonight and agreed to resume talks after six months," Carmelo Arcilla, Civil Aeronautics Board executive director said.

Arcilla said neither the Philippines nor Singapore was opposing the enforcement of Fifth Freedom Rights but both countries feel that “there is no balance to both interests.”

“The parties feel they need to come up with a better balancing package that would result in a better balancing of rights. What value would it give us? Will the operations of our airlines be affected if their carriers would fly to those countries when in fact our local carriers are already flying to those destinations?”

Fifth Freedom refers to the right to carry passengers from a carrier’s own country to a second country, and from that country to a third country.

As of late only Singapore based - Jetstar Asia is utilizing the fifth freedom rights for flights from Singapore-Manila to Tokyo and Osaka.

At present, there are 43,487 seat entitlements granted to Singapore and another 43,487 for the Philippines.

The Singapore air panel wants all Singaporean carriers to transport passengers from Singapore to Manila and pick up passengers to China, Japan and Korea and vice versa.

The Philippines, for its part, is asking that local carriers be allowed to fly to some parts in Europe, India and Middle East after they have mounted flights to Singapore from Manila.

Singapore also wanted the early implementation of the Open Skies Agreement between the two state capitals but the Philippines declined to open Manila airport further.

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