Air Philippines adds routes

Air Philippines adds routes

MANILA (Dow Jones): Air Philippines Corp. has moved the scheduled launch of its international flight operation to Jan. 2000 from end-1999, Air Philippines President Sherwin Gatchalian said Thursday in a television interview.

Air Philippines, the country's second biggest carrier after Philippine Airlines Inc., received from Manila's Civil Aeronautics Board in March a license to fly overseas after Philippine Airlines was forced to reduce its overseas flights due to its financial woes and a rival airline, Grand International Airways, suspended operations.

By this month, Air Philippines is expected to secure permission from foreign aviation regulators, including the U.S. Federal Aviations Authority, to fly to several destinations in Asia and the U.S.

Gatchalian said Air Philippines intends to establish international routes from Cebu and Davao provinces to Asian countries such as Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Brunei and Japan.