Korea-Subic budget flight set for takeoff

A new budget airline, Pacific Pearl Airways, announced it would start the only direct flight between South Korea and the Subic Bay Freeport, northwest of Manila, next month.

Pacific Pearl will operate and manage chartered flights on domestic and foreign routes, a company official said.

“The company has prepared daily flight schedules from South Korea to several destinations in the Philippines, namely, Subic, Manila, Kalibo, Cebu City and Davao City,” Pacific Pearl vice president for marketing Eligio Jimenez said.

“Flights will commence in August 2007,” he said.

The airline will use a new Boeing 737-200 aircraft, which flew into Subic last week from San Bernardino International Airport in California.

Along the way, the plane touched down at Salinas in Honolulu, Majaro in the Marshall Islands, and in Guam.

The aircraft can carry 114 passengers at a time.

Jimenez said Pacific Pearl had an agreement with the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority to lease a hangar in the Subic Bay International Airport.

He said passengers from Korea bound for Subic would gain savings and lessen travel time because they would not have to stop over in Manila.
By Riza T. Olchondra - Inquirer