Tiger still offering flights beyond Jan 20
By DARWIN G. AMOJELAR, The Manila Times Reporter
Despite a government order allowing it to operate only until January 20, Singapore-based budget carrier Tiger Airways is still offering flights from Clark to Singapore and Macau beyond the period stipulated under its extended permit to fly.
In telephone interview, Carmelo Arcilla, Civil Aeronautics Board deputy director, said the agency has given Tiger Airways a "special permit to fly" until January 20 to accommodate passengers who had already booked tickets.
"[Tiger Airways] requested 1,500 seats with two flights a day until January 20," he said.
"We assume that they are [no longer] selling tickets [for dates past the January 20 deadline] to prevent inconvenience [to the public]," Arcilla said.
A check on the carrier’s website, www.tigerairways.com, however, showed that the airline is still offering flights for dates beyond January 20.
At 5:30 p.m. Thursday, The Times logged on to the airline’s flight information menu to get schedules beyond January 20, and learned that the airline was still offering flights beyond that date. Moreover, the carrier posted no advisory that its permit to operate was good only until January 20.
A flight scheduled for January 21, 2006, with flight number TR 503 would depart Manila/Clark at 1655 hours and arrive in Singapore at 2015 hours.
Like many foreign budget air carriers operating in the Philippines, Tiger Airways maintains no physical office in the country and transacts business mainly through the Internet.
A CAB official, who refused to be named, disclosed that Tiger Airways’ license to operate was not renewed, pending a hearing on its violations.
The official said the budget airline offered fares without CAB approval, and advertised the same without securing a permit from the regulator.
In its Web site, Tiger Airways charges $9.98 one way from Singapore to Manila, Macau, Phuket, Bangkok, among other destinations in Asia.
Arcilla noted that Tiger Airways’ provisional authority to fly expired on December 30, 2005, but the airline continued to fly thereafter. "The record shows that they [haven’t] stopped flying," he said.
On January 6, the CAB gave the airline another special permit to operate until January 9, and later on extended this to January 20 as requested by Tiger Airways.
On January 10 Tiger Airways passengers were stranded because of the expired license.
Arcilla explained that the incident was due to confusion among airport authorities.
Despite a government order allowing it to operate only until January 20, Singapore-based budget carrier Tiger Airways is still offering flights from Clark to Singapore and Macau beyond the period stipulated under its extended permit to fly.
In telephone interview, Carmelo Arcilla, Civil Aeronautics Board deputy director, said the agency has given Tiger Airways a "special permit to fly" until January 20 to accommodate passengers who had already booked tickets.
"[Tiger Airways] requested 1,500 seats with two flights a day until January 20," he said.
"We assume that they are [no longer] selling tickets [for dates past the January 20 deadline] to prevent inconvenience [to the public]," Arcilla said.
A check on the carrier’s website, www.tigerairways.com, however, showed that the airline is still offering flights for dates beyond January 20.
At 5:30 p.m. Thursday, The Times logged on to the airline’s flight information menu to get schedules beyond January 20, and learned that the airline was still offering flights beyond that date. Moreover, the carrier posted no advisory that its permit to operate was good only until January 20.
A flight scheduled for January 21, 2006, with flight number TR 503 would depart Manila/Clark at 1655 hours and arrive in Singapore at 2015 hours.
Like many foreign budget air carriers operating in the Philippines, Tiger Airways maintains no physical office in the country and transacts business mainly through the Internet.
A CAB official, who refused to be named, disclosed that Tiger Airways’ license to operate was not renewed, pending a hearing on its violations.
The official said the budget airline offered fares without CAB approval, and advertised the same without securing a permit from the regulator.
In its Web site, Tiger Airways charges $9.98 one way from Singapore to Manila, Macau, Phuket, Bangkok, among other destinations in Asia.
Arcilla noted that Tiger Airways’ provisional authority to fly expired on December 30, 2005, but the airline continued to fly thereafter. "The record shows that they [haven’t] stopped flying," he said.
On January 6, the CAB gave the airline another special permit to operate until January 9, and later on extended this to January 20 as requested by Tiger Airways.
On January 10 Tiger Airways passengers were stranded because of the expired license.
Arcilla explained that the incident was due to confusion among airport authorities.
posted by OlongapoCity Zambales at
7:37 AM
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