New Bangsamoro Airways to fly across BARMM and beyond

NEWWAY TO FLY A 10-seat aircraft of the Bangsamoro Airways will commence flight in the region on April 24, covering the routes between Zamboanga City, Cotabato City, and key areas in Sulu and Tawi-Tawi provinces. PHOTO COURTESY OF BANGSAMORO AIRWAYS

COTABATO CITY, BARMM, Philippines — A pioneering airline company to service the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) and other parts of the country will fly its maiden Zamboanga-to-Sulu flight on Wednesday.

Mohammad Pasigan, chair of Bangsamoro Board of Investments (BBOI), said in a statement that Bangsamoro Airways, operated by Maguindanao del Norte-based Federal Airways Inc., will start servicing the flights between Sulu and Zamboanga three times a week even as it also opens the Sulu to Cotabato route and vice versa; and Cotabato to Zamboanga City route and vice versa.

According to Pasigan, the new flights will connect the mainland BARMM to its island provinces; make these once-isolated areas more accessible to travelers and locals alike; and bolster the region’s economy and tourism, among others.

“This marks a monumental step towards enhancing connectivity and accessibility within the Bangsamoro,” Pasigan said.

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Routes

For its maiden flight on April 24, six to 10 passengers, including the aviators, will fly aboard the Airway’s Britten-Norman BN-2A-21 Islander, a 10-seater light plane that will service the newly opened routes.

Although the airways flies three times a week in the Zamboanga to Sulu route, it can opt to fly on a daily basis, depending on the demand. It will also serve the Zamboanga to Mapun in Sulu and Zamboanga to Sibutu (Tawi-Tawi) route once a week three months after the maiden flight.

The airline will also accept chartered flights, according to airline executives.

It plans to open flights to Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia, after a year of its operation.

Pasigan said the opening of the Bangsamoro airline would hopefully bring investors to the BARMM and help bring about the region’s growth in investments aligned with the priority agenda of Bangsamoro Chief Minister Ahod “Al Haj Murad” Ebrahim.

Baby steps

The BBOI team gave its nod to the operation of Bangsamoro Airways after inspecting the company’s aircraft at Plaridel Airport in Bulacan on April 5.

“Our greatest help as Bangsamoro citizens is to make our region peaceful and safe for our investors,” Pasigan said.

“Bangsamoro Airways is a small airline with a big heart to serve the people. We are humbled to be given the support and opportunity to pioneer the first BARMM-incorporated airline in the region,” Bangsamoro Airways said in a statement.

“As a humble carrier of limited seater-flights initially, the new airline’s baby steps will lead to giant footprints,” the airline said. “We look forward to being of service to all and we shall strive to uphold the name of Bangsamoro Airways as an icon of the region.”