Kazan: President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. has expressed robust support for Siberian airlines' initiative to establish direct flights to Cebu and Manila, asserting that it will significantly enhance Philippine tourism. '[Our support is] very strong. Yes. Absolutely. Sure,' Marcos conveyed to reporters in Kazan, Russia, when questioned about the Philippine government's stance on facilitating direct flights of more Russian airlines to major tourist destinations in the country.
According to Philippines News Agency, Marcos emphasized that increasing direct flights between Russia and the Philippines represents 'a good start,' recognizing it as a crucial driver for tourism growth. He acknowledged that the plan would bolster tourism and foster people-to-people exchanges between the two nations. 'We're not only talking about tourism. Of course, it's an important part and we would like many more - both ways for more Filipinos to go to see Russia [and] for more Russians to come and visit the Philippines,' he stated.
Marcos further elaborated on the potential benefits, noting, 'But also any kind of travel, any kind of engagement at any level, even if it's not G2G (government-to-government), even if it's purely commercial, even if it's some hybrid arrangement that we might decide to come to, these are all elements that will help the growth of our trade.' He highlighted existing chartered flights between the Philippines and Russia, specifically referring to Siberian airline IrAero's chartered flights from Irkutsk and Khabarovsk in Siberia to Kalibo, Aklan, which commenced in October 2025.
Moreover, Marcos mentioned that the local flag carrier, Cebu Pacific, is contemplating additional flights to Russia. He stressed the importance of flight frequency in boosting tourism, saying, 'And as we all know, the single most important determinant of the volume of tourism and travel between two countries are the number of flights. The more flights you have, the more people come.' Marcos concluded by outlining a simple formula for success, 'The formula is very, very simple. And so, we will continue to find ways. And this has become the effect of our policy of developing regional airports so that our visitors - the visitors that come to the Philippines need not go through Manila necessarily, unless they really want to go to Manila.'
