Dubai: Emirates plans to discuss its third daily flight to Manila, which was axed last month, when the UAE and Philippine aviation authorities meet to discuss flights between the two countries, according to the Philippine Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB).

However, no time frame has been announced.

Emirates was forced to stop operating the service last month after an extension from the Philippine Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB) expired in January.

Emirates had operated the service on an extension basis after a code-share agreement with Philippine Airlines ended last October.

“The reinstitution of a third daily frequency by Emirates … is a policy issue that will be properly dealt with through the holding of a new round of Air Consultation Talks between the UAE and the Philippines,” Carmelo Arcilla, CAB executive director, told Gulf News by email.

Arcilla did not state when CAB officials will meet with UAE counterparts at the General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA).

Disappointed, discouraged

Two weeks ago, Emirate told Gulf News in an emailed statement it was “disappointed” and encouraged the CAB “to reconsider their decision”.

The airline was also hit with $40,627 (Dh149,101) in fines from CAB for selling tickets up to March 2015.

Philippine Airlines and Cebu Pacific have both lobbied CAB against holding talks with UAE counterparts.

“We feel quite strongly the 28 frequencies is sufficient to serve the market between the Philippines and the UAE,” Alex Reyes, General Manager of Cebu Pacific Long Haul Division, told Gulf News by phone.

Agreement

The UAE and the Philippines are each granted 28 weekly flights divided up among their respective airlines under existing bilateral agreements. The UAE has exhausted the agreement with Emirates and Etihad each operating twice daily services.

Philippine Airlines has the rights to 21 weekly flights and Cebu Pacific, a Philippine low cost carrier, has rights to seven weekly flights.

Manila traffic

Brendan Sobie, chief analyst at CAPA — Centre for Aviation, told Gulf News by email that it is in the interest of the Philippine carriers “to keep Emirates at two daily flights”.

“Emirates and the UAE will have to convince the Philippines that expanding the bilateral [agreement] is [in] the overall interest of both countries, including consumers,” he added.

Emirates had operated a daily service to Clark International Airport, about 100 kilometres north of Manila, until March last year. The route was dropped after a “review of the airline’s operations,” Emirates said at the time.

“Emirates tried Clark before and it failed so their preference is clearly to get back the third flight to Manila,” Sobie said.

Clark International, as well as Cebu International and three other Philippine airports outside Manila are under an open-skies policy and is not affected by bilateral agreements.