PAL Bags All Haneda Slots

21 October 2013

The Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB) has awarded Philippine Airlines (PAL) 14 slots out of Tokyo's Haneda Airport, citing premium services offered by the airline. It will join Japan's Air Nippon Airways (ANA )in servicing the route next summer.

CAB Executive Director Carmelo Arcilla said that Haneda is a premium airport which primarily caters to "corporate and business travel" as distinguished from leisure travel offered by other airport applicants.

Japan regulators aim is to keep Narita as the general international gateway to Tokyo while Haneda airport as Tokyo's business hub. 

Cebu Pacific and PAL Express made separate applications to fly Haneda but was rejected by CAB for being low cost airlines which doesn’t offer business class services.

Earlier, Cebu Pacific applied allocations for seven flights per week, while PAL Express applied for the entire 14 flights.

Arcilla disclosed that Haneda Airport was “clearly indicated” by their Japanese counterpart as "premium airport" intended to cater for corporate and business travelers as compared to Narita Airport which is generally open for leisure flights.

Meanwhile, CAB has approved other applications of Philippine carriers to Japan as follows:

PAL

• Manila to Narita vice versa (14 flights per week)

PAL Express

• Manila to Narita vice versa (14 flights per week
• Cebu to Narita vice versa (7  flights per week)

Cebu Pacific

• Manila to Narita vice versa (14 flights per week)
• Manila to Nagoya vice versa (3 flights per week)
• Manila to Fukuoka vice versa (7 flights per week)
• Cebu to Narita vice versa (7 flights per week)
• Cebu to Kansai vice versa (7 flights per week)
• Cebu to Nagoya vice versa (7 flights per week)
• Manila to Hiroshima vice versa (7 flights per week)
• Manila to Sapporo vice versa (7 flights per week)
• Manla to Okinawa vice versa (7 flights per week) 
•  Manila to Ibaraki vice versa (7 flights per week )

Zest Airways

• Manila to Narita vice versa (7 flights per week )
• Manila to Osaka vice versa (7 fligts per week)
• Manila to Nagoya vice versa (7 flights per week)
• Kalibo to Nagoya vice versa (3 flights per week)
• Kalibo to Osaka vice versa (4 flights per week )
• Cebu to Osaka vice versa (4 flights per week )

Tigerair Philippines

• Manila to Narita vice versa (14 flights per week)
• Manila to Oosaka vice versa (7 flights per week)
• Clark to Narita vice versa (7 flights per week)
• Clark to Osaka vice versa (7 flights per week)
• Cebu to Narita vice versa (14 flights per week)
• Kalibo to Narita vice versa (7 flights per week)

Air Asia Philippines

• Manila to Narita vice versa (7 flights per week)
• Manila to Osaka vice versa (7 flights per week)
• Manila to Nagoya vice versa (7 flights per week)
• Kalibo to Nagoya vice versa (3 flights per week )
• Kalibo to Osaka vice versa (4 flights per week)
• Cebu to Osaka vice versa (4 flights per week)

The new services will be over and above existing traffic rights between the Philippines and Japan. 

Currently, PAL enjoys daily flights to Narita, Nagoya, Osaka, Fukuoka while Cebu Pacific has daily entitlements to Osaka.

Philippines to Japan weekly one-way frequencies by carrier: 

30-Sep-2013 to 20-Oct-2013

Rank	Airline		Total Frequencies
1	PR	Philippine Airlines	31
2	JL	Japan Airlines	14
3	DL	Delta Air Lines	13
4	NH	All Nippon Airways	7
5	3K	Jetstar Asia	4
6	JQ	Jetstar Airways	4
7	5J	Cebu Pacific Air	3

Source: CAPA – Centre for Aviation & Innovata

PAL controls 43 percent of total seat capacity in the Philippine-Japan market  with 31 weekly flights to Japan while Cebu Pacific has 3 weekly flights to Osaka generating less than three percent.

Japan international seat capacity by country: 7-Oct-2013 to 20-Oct-2013

Source: CAPA - Centre for Aviation and Innovata

Cebu Pacific Air will have the biggest expansion in Japan from the current 3 weekly frequency to Osaka to at least 73 weekly flights and ten new destinations followed by Tigerair which secured 56 weekly flights, while Zest Airways and AirAsia Philippines bags 32 weekly flights respectively. PAL Express on the other hand secured 21 weekly coefficients followed by Philippine Airlines which got a new daily slot out of Narita airport.

The Philippines and Japan agreed in September 2013 to amend its Air Services Agreement by increasing the number of weekly flights allowed between Manila and Tokyo Narita for each side from 119 to 400. The two countries also agreed to open 14 flights per week between Manila and Haneda, as well as unlimited flights between airports outside Manila and Tokyo.