THE CIVIL Aeronautics Board (CAB) said it recently approved the petition of budget carrier Cebu Pacific, operated by Cebu Air, Inc., to lift the capacity limitation on flights to Kalibo and Caticlan.
This means that air operators flying to the Kalibo and Caticlan airports can now use aircraft with more than 200 seats, the CAB said in a resolution dated Feb. 28, 2022. Cebu Pacific filed the request on Feb. 21.
The 200-seat limitation on flights to Kalibo and Caticlan began in 2019 following the rehabilitation of Boracay. The objective was to rationalize visitor numbers and maintain the island’s carrying capacity, according to the CAB.
Cebu Pacific noted that “fuller loads and coupled with full utilization of all available aircraft seats would benefit the economy at large and ensure the continuous flow of business, cargo, and revitalizing (sic) tourism further to recover from the commercial ill effects of the pandemic,” the CAB said, citing the airline’s request.
The airline is aiming to restore 100% of its pre-pandemic capacity this dry season. It recently announced that it would add more flights for its passengers in Visayas and Mindanao “to enable them to explore more local destinations without having to pass through Manila.”
Boracay has a carrying capacity of 54,945 people per day, or 19,215 visitors and 35,730 non-tourists, according to a study by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources.
The Tourism department has said increasing the island’s carrying capacity is a matter for experts. — Arjay L. Balinbin