Once upon Emirates

STARTING MARCH 30, 2016, Emirates Airlines resumes daily flights at the Clark International Airport.

Coming at the tail end of the holiday season, that announcement by the Clark International Airport Cor. had all the trimmings and tinsel of a package coming from Santa himself.

Enthused CIAC President-CEO Emigdio Tanjuatco III: “After a series of negotiation with Emirates, we are glad that they have now finally agreed to resume their flights at CRK this year. This is a fruit of CIAC’s efforts in continuing to attract more airlines to choose Clark.”

“A game changer,” Tanjuatco effused pa more: “I need not stress the relevance, or the kind of quality that Emirates will contribute to the Clark airport. Presently we are engaging the national government to show them that Clark is willing and able to be that airport to help decongest the Ninoy Aquino International Airport.”

Short, but sweet enough, was the say of the other party – Jie Zhu, Emirates’ senior regional manager for airport services Asia: “I am impressed with the improvements done at the terminal. We are very happy that finally we are back at Clark International Airport.”

Not meant to be a wet blanket thrown on Tanjuatco’s hotness over Emirates’ comeback, but his predecessor, now Civil Aviation Board Director Victor Jose Luciano, actually beat him to the draw.

In a pre-holidays banter with the local media, Luciano made public a letter from Salem Obaidalla, senior vice president on aeropolitical and industry affairs of the United Arab Emirates, that said: “We plan to commence operations from 30 March 2016, with a 2-class 777- 300ER.”
Confidently: “I am sure you will join me in welcoming this fantastic news for the Philippines, which should be a hugely positive development for tourism, trade and the ongoing development of the Philippines’ regional economies.”

Not meant to rain on CIAC’s parade of Emirates’ return, but we have this feeling  of having been there, having heard and seen all that. And ended up frustrated.

Travel in time now, through this take of a piece dated March 30, 2014:

Cancelling Clark

"EMIRATES CAN confirm that it is suspending its daily, non-stop service between Clark International Airport and Dubai from 1st May 2014. The decision was made after a review of the airline’s operations to ensure the best utilisation of its aircraft fleet for its overall business objectives.”

Direct from Doha, Qatar, straight out of a story in Gulf Times bylined Joey Aguilar/Staff Reporter, did I get my first read of the decision of Emirates Airlines to stop operating at the CIA. Joey, if you still recall, was Punto! editor, the first one, before love summoned him to come and live in the gulf state.

Anyways, what was couched in diplomatese in that statement from the Emirates spokesman was translated in the local press – in all brutal frankness – to low passenger volume, stiff competition and the excise tax on jet fuel for international flights as the reasons for Emirates cancelling out Clark.

Reasons unquestionably acceptable, were it Asian Spirit or Zest Air or Seair, or even AirAsia Philippines doing the decamping. As indeed, they all did.

Reasons really incredible, given Emirates’ global stature – “one of the fastest growing airlines in the world, has received more than 500 international awards for excellence and has over nine million members worldwide of Skywards, the airline’s frequent flyer program…flies to 134 destinations in 76 countries and operates 203 wide-bodied Airbus and Boeing aircraft…has orders for an additional 190 aircraft, worth more than USD$71 billion…holds an impressive array of prestigious awards most recently including, the ‘Best Airline Food and Wine’ by Frequent Business Traveler and the highly coveted 2013 ‘World’s Best Airline’ award presented by Skytrax...etcetera”

An airline CV that really shocks and awes. So that at the press launch of Emirates’ Dubai-Clark-Dubai flight only last October 1, 2013, Business Mirror’s Joey Pavia was nearly laughed out of the air-conditioned, carpeted tent at Holiday Inn-Clark’s parking lot when he asked Mohammed Mattar, Emirates divisional senior vice president: “How deep is your pocket? Will you not pull out (of Clark) once your planes fly way below their passenger capacities?”    

No straight answer given as we heard Mr. Mattar tell the story of Emirates’ maiden flight to Mumbai with only five passengers and the low, low pax volume in the succeeding flights, only to culminate to the now fully booked, five-times-daily Dubai-Mumbai flights.  

As it was in Mumbai, so it shall be in Clark, Mr. Mattar so implied. And leaving no space for doubt, sayeth thus: "We are sure that we will do good in Clark after many studies in the market. We are not worried and we will do good here in Clark just like in Manila."

Confidence certified by Gigie Baroa, Emirates Philippines country manager: “The renewed and increased economic activity and the positive future of tourism up north of Metro Manila make investors bullish about investing.”

Bullish as the airline can ever be, with a great percentage of the OFWs scattered all over the Middle East coming from these parts, thus Baroa: “We at Emirates have always seen the need of our kababayans from Northern and Central Luzon who have to travel three or more hours just to get to Manila. So we decided to open up a new hub at Clark International Airport. Whether they are business savvy individuals or OFWs, they are now assured of the convenience of our flights through our new route.”

Low passenger volume now? What happened to Emirates’ “many studies in the market”?

And while at it, did those studies fail to consider too the excise tax on jet fuel for international flights, another reason given for Emirates getting out of Clark?

The (in)validity of that (un)reason is like sieve holding water: Ain’t that excise tax imposed on NAIA-based airlines too?

A smartass of a pal even advanced some perceived advantage to Emirates over other airlines when it comes to jet fuel: “As Emirates enjoys Dubai’s oil, so its fuel expenses are half of those other airlines, having to pay for gas only in its destination.”      

And with Emirates having the Dubai-Clark-Dubai route all to itself, where’s the stiff competition? From the Ninoy Aquino International Airport? Ain’t happening here given Baroa’s point of “our kababayans from Northern and Central Luzon who have to travel three or more hours just to get to Manila.”  

Baroa, we learned some months back, had ceased connections with Emirates. It should have rung alarm bells at the Clark International Airport Corp. but it did not. Only last February 27, CIAC sent photo releases of its officials led by President-CEO Victor Jose I. Luciano warmly welcoming Emirates new Area Manager Abdallah Alzamani at their corporate offices. Absolutely not the slightest inkling of the impending Emirates departure then…

Fine print

Hidden– if not intentionally understated – in the enthusiasm over Emirates’ return is what could be the proverbial fine print of the deal – it ain’t the once  direct Dubai-Clark-Dubai flight, it’s Dubai-Cebu-Clark-Dubai this time around.

A triangular, if circuitous, route that may dampen the excitement of the homesick OFWs being with their families again, or of the tourist agog at taking in the sights of Central and Northern Luzon.

What’s the point of going all the way to Cebu – okay, if only for stopover – from Dubai when one’s destination is way up North Luzon? Just to skirt the congestion of Manila? The time spent for the former may even be longer than that wasted in the latter.

What’s the point for the airline to fly to Cebu from Dubai when it cannot pick up passengers there bound only to Clark? Cabotage, it is called.

Conspiracy theorists will instantly see this as another sabotage of the Clark airport from becoming the country’s premier international gateway. Sensing that allegation of low passenger volume is already shaping up anew as cause of the next abandonment of Clark by Emirates.

Call this unguarded pessimism. Déjà vu, rising.