PH Secures Double Daily To Italy

PR to fly Milan and Rome

6 September 2013

The Philippines has secured more landing rights to Italy after it was allowed 14 weekly frequency to the country following negotiations made on September 4 and 5.

Carmelo Arcilla, Executive Director of the Civil Aeronautics Board, said talks with Italy is long overdue since its 1969 ASA deal which allows one flight per week. Philippine Airlines last flew to Italy in 1994.

The negotiation was made possible after Philippine Airlines (PAL) requested the government for talks since they have plans to launch flights to Italy, home to more than 170,000 Filipinos, with new generations A330-300's.

“Negotiations were needed because our existing air agreement with Italy does not grant access to Milan or any Italian points outside Rome and we want to fly there,”PAL senior vice president for external affairs Socorro Gonzaga said.

Meanwhile, Gonzaga said its daily flight to Paris will have to wait until 2014 after France scheduled the talks first quarter of next year.

Philippine Airlines hopes to fly Paris in November, London by December 2013, and add Rome and Milan to their route network in the summer of 2014.