Skyjet Air Philippines adds maiden BAe146-200

Domestic flights from Manila suspended due to COVID-19

All scheduled domestic flights departing from and arriving at Manila Ninoy Aquino Int'l airport have been suspended until at least August 18, 2020, due to the imposition of a new strict lockdown in the Filipino capital's metro area.

The so-called modified enhanced community quarantine (MECQ) is just marginally more relaxed than the strict rules previously imposed on other parts of the country. No private travel, even within the metro area, is permitted with only approved persons, mostly essential workers and people sourcing essential goods for their households, allowed to leave their homes.

According to the ch-aviation capacities module, airlines planned to operate 323 domestic flights departing from Manila during the week started on August 3, 2020, with a total of 49,410 departure seats on sale. The suspension affects Cebu Pacific Air together with Cebgo (the market leader with a 40.7% market share by capacity), Philippines AirAsia, Philippine Airlines, Skyjet Airlines, and AirSWIFT.

Due to the local nature of the measure, domestic flights operated from other airports, including Clark...

Asian carriers hit as gov'ts restrict int'l flights

Philippines' Skyjet Air eyes expansion with ATR72s

Skyjet Airlines (M8, Manila Ninoy Aquino Int'l) has taken delivery of its first ATR72-500, RP-C7868 (msn 748), and plans to add a further two of the type to expand its network in the Philippines, Aviation Updates Philippines has reported.

The 12.8-year-old turboprop, formerly operated by Stobart Air (Dublin Int'l), was ferried from storage at Mönchengladbach in early February and arrived at Manila Ninoy Aquino Int'l on February 8, 2020. It is the first turboprop for Skyjet Air which also operates three BAe 146-200s and has one inactive BAe 146-100 in storage.

According to "credible" sources cited by the local aviation news website, Skyjet Air will not phase-out the BAe Systems quadjets for the time being given their larger cargo capacity in comparison to the Avions de Transport Régional aircraft. The airline will use the turboprops to launch scheduled domestic flights from underserved destinations.

The carrier, which describes itself as "boutique leisure airline", currently operates from Manila to Camiguin, Basco, and Busuanga. It...

Editorial Comment: Corrected airport code reference to Tagbilaran's new airport in Panglao. - 17.02.2020 - 06:35 UTC

Skyjet Airlines eyes fleet expansion, international ops

Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte has signed a law giving Skyjet Airlines (M8, Manila Ninoy Aquino Int'l) the power to operate domestic and international air transport services for 25 years, the Manila Bulletin has reported.

Enabling SkyJet - which commenced operations in December 2012 - to continue operating passenger, cargo and mail services, Republic Act No. 11410 was signed by the president on August 22 and released by the president's office last week, the newspaper said.

“With the granting of this franchise, we can now pursue our plans in expanding our fleet as well as our new destinations and even launching international routes,” said the carrier's president Dino Reyes Chua, who is also a politician and the current mayor of Noveleta, a municipality 20 kilometres from Manila. “We will continue to be a catalyst in developing new tourism destinations and discover the undiscovered, explore the unexplored islands in the Philippines”.

“Air transport services shall include the maintenance and operation of hangars and aircraft service stations and facilities and other services of similar nature which may be...