JEDDAH, 7 December 2003 — Filipinos from the central and southern Philippines flying to and from Jeddah or Doha, Qatar, have one more reason to be happy these days: they have the choice to bypass overcrowded Manila.
Starting Dec. 10, Qatar Airways will begin its flights from Jeddah and Doha to Cebu in the central Philippines, vice versa, with a brief stopover in Singapore.
When Qatar Airways revealed its new twice-a-week flight plan during a recent gathering at the Nayong Pilipino restaurant in Jeddah, of Cebuano-speaking Filipinos, who received the announcement as a “good news.”
Ahmed Al-Idrissi, Qatar Airways area manager for the Western Region, said its flights leave Jeddah on Wednesdays and Saturdays at 4:50 p.m., passing via Doha and Singapore (for refueling). The Wednesday flights are to arrive in Cebu at around 4 p.m. on Thursdays, and leave Cebu for Jeddah early morning on Fridays, arriving at Jeddah at 3:50 p.m. the same day. Its Saturday flights are to arrive in Cebu on Sundays and return on Mondays to Jeddah.
An Airbus 320-200, one of the most modern aircraft of Airbus Industrie, will service the route, Al-Idrissi said.
“We want you to experience the service of Qatar Airways. Our airline was voted as the Best Service in the Middle East, and Third Best in the World,” Al-Idrissi told the gathering.
Founded only in 1997, Qatar’s flag carrier has one of the youngest fleets on air.
Al-Idrissi said the average age of Qatar’s aircraft, all Airbus, is one-and-a-half years. He said the carrier will be adding 34 more advanced aircraft into its fleet of 24, including two super jumbos A380 that has a capacity of 500 passengers.
Qatar is also one of the fastest growing airlines in the world, he said. Cebu, the Philippines’ oldest and second biggest city, is its 48th destination worldwide.
Jojo Ligan, a supervisor for a service company, said knowing an airline gives premium on safety makes “you feel secured knowing you are in good hands.”
Flying in new planes means an “advantage to flyers because of the comfort it offers,” added Primo Salibay, a barber.
Aside from the safety and comfort, the entry of Qatar Airways into the Cebu market is seen as a catalyst for competition among the airlines that ply the route. It will be the fourth airliner to service the Jeddah-Cebu route, after Malaysia Airlines, Singapore Airlines and Cathay Pacific.
“With stiffer competition, perhaps we could expect better service and lower air fares,” Elgen Lomongo, an engineer, told Arab News. Lomongo said he had tried the two other airlines and he is looking forward to trying the latest one.
Fred Castolome, a community leader, said the Jeddah-Cebu flights would spare passengers from the Visayas (central Philippines) and Mindanao (southern Philippines) the hassle of passing through Manila.
The flight to Cebu opens a lot of possibilities not only to OFWs but also to the city itself. Cebu, known as the “Queen City of the South,” boasts of beaches blessed with white sand and pristine waters. Its strategic location also makes it a gateway to other exotic places like Bohol and Siquijor.
Bohol has currently hugged the limelight after its diving spots — Panglao, Balicasag, Cabilao, and Pamilacan — were cited as “Tourism Destinations of the Year” by the Philippine Department of Tourism.
Balicasag, Cabilao and Danajon Reef, were particularly pointed out by scuba divers as comparable to the world heritage Tubbataha Reef in Palawan.
Al-Idrissi said Filipinos and foreign tourists alike are invited to join the historic inaugural flight to Cebu by contacting Nazir at telephone number 667-4543.