Manila — A new air services agreement between the Philippines and South Korea has increased the weekly seat entitlements for flights between Manila and Incheon to 30,000. This development aims to accommodate growing tourist exchanges following the pandemic.
According to Philippines News Agency, the memorandum of understanding signed by the two nations raises the weekly seat capacity from the previous 20,000 to 30,000. "The new agreement further liberalizes the third and fourth freedoms of the air, without imposing limits on flights from Manila to all other points in South Korea," stated the DOTr. These freedoms allow the right to carry passengers and cargo from one's country to another and vice versa.
The decision to increase seat capacity reflects the heightened interest among Filipino and South Korean tourists, a trend that has been recovering since the Covid-19 pandemic. Furthermore, flights from areas outside Manila to South Korea will remain unlimited, supporting broader access and travel flexibility.
Tourism data from the Department of Tourism indicates a significant influx of Korean tourists into the Philippines, with numbers reaching 682,362 by May 2024. "The increase in capacity will be felt by the market once airlines take advantage of the opportunity to carry more passenger traffic between the capital cities of the two countries," the DOTr commented.
The new MOU, which was finalized on July 4 following two days of consultations, also saw the Philippine delegation propose an amendment that would allow the Philippines to designate its airlines based on the airline's principal place of business and place of incorporation in the Philippines. While an agreement on this amendment was not reached, both delegations agreed to further discuss it and Korea's proposal for third country code-sharing arrangements in the next round of consultations.