The City Tourism Operations Office (CTOO) announced Wednesday that various international flights will be revived in the city in October.

In an interview, CTOO officer-in-charge Jennifer Romero said the Davao-Jinjiang and the Davao-Hong Kong direct flights will resume on Oct. 8 and Oct. 29, respectively.

Romero said Royal Air will start carrying Davao-Hong Kong flights and vice versa, while Xiamen Air will resume offering the Davao-Jinjiang direct flights.

“Both air routes will be scheduled twice a week with the Davao-Hong Kong flight set on Thursday and Sunday and the Davao-Jinjiang on Wednesday and Sunday,” she said.

Romero hopes the revival of direct flights to Hong Kong and Jinjiang will boost the tourism sector in the city to recover the rate of tourist arrivals lost during the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic.

Aside from direct flights to Hong Kong and Jinjiang, the Davao-Singapore direct flight, which resumed in October last year, will also continue under Scoot as parent company Singapore Airlines will end operations of the same flight on Oct. 31.

Earlier this year, the Davao-Doha air travel carried by Qatar Airways also resumed their flights.

Romero added that the city is also finding ways to make operations of the flight routes more sustainable by coordinating with local tour operators to sell flight or tour packages to local passengers going to China.

“We are working for more. We are collaborating with the Department of Tourism. We have the anticipated Air Connectivity Council which will promote and help airline companies to offer more flights to Davao City,” she said.

Romero said they aim to have the executive ordinance establishing the Air Connectivity Council before the year ends. (PNA)