With the reopened Bohol tourism still groping for form, the news of at least two (2) airlines resuming their regular flights is a welcome development to encourage more visitors to come here.
Bohol has reopened its doors to visitors on Nov. 15, 2020 as it laid out the protocol in an effort to balance the need to restart the local economy and to ensure public safety from possible spread of the Coronavirus disease (Covid) from outside the province
On Wednesday, Nov. 17, 2020, Air Asia Philippines (AAP) announced that it will restart its regular fight operations between Manila and Panglao (to and from) beginning Dec. 1, 2020.
According to a report by the Manila Standard, the airline company will operate four (4) flights a week during the period spanning Dec. 1-15, 2020.
The AAP will be operating regular flights on Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Sunday, according to the said report.
Moreover, in the period spanning Dec. 16-31, 2020, the AAP will operate daily flights to and from Manila to Bohol Panglao International Airport (BPIA).
On the other hand, flag-carrier Philippine Airlines (PAL) reveals that it will resume operating regular flights between Manila and Panglao, starting today, Nov. 22, 2020.
“The (resumption) of flights is timely in view of the reopening of Bohol to domestic tourism,” PAL spokesperson Cielo Villaluna said on Thursday, Nov. 19, 2020.
PAL’s aircraft will fly between the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) and the BPIA every Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday.
In a related development, the Philippine News Agency (PNA) reports that the domestic budget carrier Cebu Pacific Air (CEB) plans to increase the frequency of flights to and from Panglao.
CEB started its regular flights between Bohol and Manila on Oct. 28, 2020, according to the same report.
“Prior to that, we used to operate an all-cargo (trips) for Manila-Bohol, while passengers were on Bohol-Manila (trips),” Candice Iyog, vice president for CEB’s Marketing and Customer Experience.
Currently, CEB flies three (3) times weekly between Bohol and Manila, with trips every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.
According to a report from Capitol media citing a source privy to information, CEB will fly daily to Bohol starting on the first week of December 2020.