Tiger Airways begins "pan-regional" flight between Philippines, Macau
SINGAPORE (XFNews) - Singapore's Tiger Airways said it has begun a "pan-regional" service between the Philippines and Macau, becoming the first Asian low-cost carrier to link the two destinations.
The airline said in a statement it will fly daily between Manila's Clark Field, a former US air base located 80 kilometers north of the capital, and the Asian gambling hub of Macau.
"We will play our part to help Clark and Diosdado Macapagal International Airport achieve their goals of becoming a gateway for regular international flights and a buoyant economic zone," Tiger Airways chief executive officer Tony Davis said.
The carrier said in July it expected demand to come from the many Filipino workers based in Macau and nearby Hong Kong, as well as tourists.
One-way tickets between the two destinations from October 30 to March 25 next year are priced at 1,318 pesos or 188 patacas (24 dollars), excluding taxes and other charges, according to the Tiger Airways website.
Excluding the Macau-Manila service, the carrier now operates 10 routes from Singapore -- to Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Hatyai, Phuket and Krabi in Thailand, Macau, Manila, Padang in Indonesia and Vietnam's Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi.
Last month, the airline, which is 49-pct owned by Singapore Airlines, announced plans to expand its network to southern China, India and Cambodia and boost annual capacity to 3.0 mln passengers by 2006.