By PABLO A. TARIMAN
FOR the first time in many years, a British Aerospace BAE-146 series 200 (94-seater) and four-engine jet aircraft finally landed in Catanduanes previously identified with commercial planes the size of small Fokker planes.
On its inaugural flight to Virac, Catanduanes yesterday, Skyjet Airlines once again expanded its route and served notice it is not interested in selling seats but is keen on promoting unspoiled tourist destinations ignored by the big players in the airline industry.
“We are not selling airlines seats,” pointed out Skyjet CEO Joel A. Mendoza. “We are selling experience in undiscovered island paradise of the country.”
In the inaugural flight were Catanduanes Rep. Cesar Sarmiento, Gov. Joseph Cua and former Comelec Commissioner Rene Sarmiento who comes from the island.
After being greeted by brass band and waving islanders led by Virac Mayor Jose U. Alberto II and Virac Bishop Manolo A. de los Santos, the passengers of the inaugural flight were treated to a short but fitting program at the island airport terminal.
In the inaugural program, Skyjet CEO Mendoza bared his tourism pitch called “Catanduanes as gateway to Caramoan.”
Caramoan in Camarines Sur is now a favorite Bicol tourist destination which happens to be just less than thirty minutes away from the southern part of Catanduanes. It also the favorite locations of a foreign-produced reality show.
The presence of untapped natural attractions was what led Mendoza to the island.
He said that the first time he saw the Bicol island, he was instantly attracted by its unspoiled beauty and forthwith added it to the airlines’ new route after Batanes and Palawan. “We are here to help sell your natural attractions, not our airline seats,” added Mendoza. “We are virtually selling the experience of how it is to breathe clean air in your breath-taking islands.”
Rep. Sarmiento and Gov. Cua agreed that Mendoza’s vision of tourism is compatible with the tourism needs of the island.
The lone island representative noted that Catanduanes used to have a steady volume of visitors going to Virac with two airlines in the island. “With Zest Air backing out, the number of passengers dropped and so did the number of tourists. With the entry of Skyjet, we expect to have more tourists flying to the island. As vice chairman of the House committee on transportation, I quietly helped Skyjet by making sure the island route is not monopolized by one airline.”
There are ten commercial airlines in the country led by the big players Cebu Pacific (43 fleets), Philippine Airlines (41 fleets), PAL Express or AirPhilippines (18 fleets), and Zest Air (18 fleets).
Zest Air has dropped Catanduanes from its destinations leaving Cebu Pacific to serve the islanders only on Mondays, Wednesday, Fridays and Sunday.
Skyjet will fill up the vacant Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday routes with special promo offers including free snacks which have disappeared in virtually all leading airlines.
Indeed, the issue of economic viability has driven big airlines out of small islands thus leaving some tourist spots unknown and virtually unheard of.
“We are here not to compete but to complement major airline carriers not servicing minor airports and small island destinations,” Mendoza stressed.
The CEO’s vision must have something unique in it he was chosen as one of the speakers at the Centre for Aviation (CAPA) in Singapore. In that conference, Mendoza pointed out the country has yet to attain at least 30 percent of its productivity as far as promoting its tourism industry is concerned.
In the panel discussion called “The Entrepreneurial Spirit – Start-ups’ Big Ambitions” in the same conference, he pointed out there are still several thousands of islands that need to be developed to become potential tourism spots. “There are still significant opportunities in Asia that are available for start-up airlines without competing with the more established players,” he told the Singapore audience of big players in the airline industry.
The truth is Mendoza practiced what he preached.
After discovering the unspoiled beauty of Batanes, he married a maiden from Batanes island and made a 370 degree career turn. A holder of a master’s degree in orthographic surgery (corrective jaw surgery) from New York University, Mendoza was a topnotch dentist and cosmetic surgeon before he turned to aviation.
He recounted his life story to media men earlier: “Because of my experience in aircraft maintenance, chartering and leasing, I told myself—why don’t I just put my own airline company that focuses on eco-tourism? It sure will provide jobs to the locals and alleviate their living conditions.”
The CEO declared: “I’m not a tycoon, but I have a vision.”
