By Gabriela Baron
Direct flights from Belgium to the Philippines may soon begin.
President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. and Brussels Airport Chief Executive Officer Arnauld Feist met on Tuesday, Dec. 13, at the sidelines of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations-European Union (ASEAN-EU) Commemorative Summit to discuss the proposal to open the Manila-Brussels direct flight.
Feist said the Manila-Brussels direct flight is a “win-win” for both countries.
“We are working on the opportunity to have a direct flight between Manila and Brussels… And we think that basically there is a win-win for both countries to be connected directly,” Feist said.
Marcos, for his part, said opening a non-stop flight to Brussels serves as an opportunity for Filipinos who want to explore what Belgium and the rest of western Europe have to offer.
“When we talk about Brussels in our mind, it’s really Western Europe because, very clearly, Brussels is the center of that. And that is something of great interest,” Marcos said.
“The pent-up demand over the pandemic is now beginning to show itself, and the demand for air travel has actually increased a great deal more quickly than any had expected,” he added.
During the meeting, Marcos pointed out that all capitals in Southeast Asia are within a few hours from Manila.
“That’s something that we would like to take advantage of and explore in terms of making the areas more accessible… I think there’s a great deal of opportunity that would be advantageous for the both of us,” he added.
