PB joins call to Qatar Airways not to stop Cebu-Doha flights

The Cebu Provincial Board  joined the appeal of Cebu businessmen, tourism stakeholders and the Cebu City Council to the management of Qatar Airways to reconsider its decision to suspend its Doha-Cebu route.

Vice Gov. Agnes Magpale sponsored the  resolution that said   “the impending cessation of flight operations of Qatar Airline will certainly threaten the Philippines’ booming tourism industry, vis-à-vis the increasing influx of foreign tourists in the country.”

“The provincial government of Cebu, while expressing sadness over the news, is hoping for the better that a turnaround decision of the airline management be possible for the benefit of Cebu’s tourism industry,” the resolution said.

Magpale, chairperson of the PB’s committee on tourism, said she was willing to help Qatar management in whatever way she could.

She said she discussed this issue with  officers of the Hotel, Resort and Restaurant Association of Cebu (HRRAC).

“We are willing to help them… organize fun tours. We want to meet with them,” she said.

“I want to go beyond. If we can be of help to them in whatever way. Gamit kaayo nga rota (It’s an important route). We will be affected,” she said.

Cebu Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia welcomed the Provincial Board’s move.

Garcia, a board member of the Mactan Cebu International Airport Authority (MCIAA), said in  a press conference  that the board agreed to ask the management of Qatar about the major route change.

She said that the MCIAA was not “officially” informed about this turn of events.

She said the matter was only brought up by a member of the board during their meeting in mid February.

Qatar Airways will suspend its Cebu-Doha flights by March 26 because of high fuel prices and high operations cost making the route no longer profitable. /Correspondent Carmel Loise Matus