THE DEPARTMENT of Transportation (DOTr) said the government is already enacting measures to lower the prices of plane tickets for local destinations.
In a joint statement by the DOTr and the Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB) on Saturday, January 31, they said they are taking note of the worries of travelers about the high fares for domestic flights.
“Alinsunod sa direktiba ni Pangulong Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. at ng Acting DOTr Secretary Giovanni Lopez, isinasakatuparan na ang iba’t ibang pamamaraan upang mapababa ang presyo ng airline tickets sa mga local na destinasyon,” the statement read.
“Ang presyo ng isang airline ticket ay nakasalalay din sa ilang kadahilanan,” it added.
According to the DOTr and CAB, the first consideration is the size of the plane and its passenger capacity. The larger the plane and the more passengers it can accommodate, the lower will be the price per passenger, as more passengers will generate revenue.
“Kung mas kaunti ang pasahero, mas mataas ang gastos bawat pasahero at magiging mas mataas ang pamasahe,” the statement read.
DOTr and CAB said some airports in the country, including those in Catarman, Siargao, Antique, and Busuanga, can only be used by small aircraft due to their short runways.
“Ang DOTr at ang CAAP ay tinutugunan ang suliraning ito sa pamamagitan ng pagpapahaba ng mga runway upang ito ay makapagserbisyo ng malalaking jet aircraft,” it said, adding that the project was already accomplished at the airport in Antique, and about to be finished at the Busuanga airport.
“Isusunod na din ang iba pang mga airport sa bansa,” the DOTr and CAB said.
Further, DOTr and the CAAP are eyeing smaller airports in able to be “night capable,” or having day and night operations, to accommodate additional flights and lower the fares.
“Gayunpaman, patuloy na binabantayan ng DOTr, sa pamamagitan ng CAB, ang kabuuang pamasahe ng mga airlines – lalo na sa domestic routes, kabilang ang Manila-Catarman, upang matiyak na nananatiling patas at makatwiran ang singil,” it said.
Prior to this, three major airline companies in the country vowed to remove their top two most expensive price buckets (fare classes) to lower airfares, according to Department of Tourism (DOT) Secretary Christina Garcia-Frasco.
This is in response to complaints received by DOT from local tourists that it is more expensive to travel to destinations in the Philippines than to go abroad. (GMA Integrated News)
