A few days from now, exactly on October 20, 2011, AirPhil Express will finally be making its inaugural flight to General Santos City from Manila! We blogged about it as early as March this year after they announced it, and at that time, we were as excited as you are. More competition means much lower fares!!! Read post here.
A few months afterwards, AirPhil Express fired its warning shots and announced a Seat Sale for their upcoming Manila-GenSan-Manila flight! Early bookers were offered a one-way flight fare of only P888. Read about that here.
Of course, their major competitor, Cebu Pacific has since been retaliating left and right without let-up and we could only advise the happy riding public to do a flight comparison to check the airlines which could give them the best value for their money.
Right now, AirPhil Express boasts of a new fleet of Airbuses which will cater to the passengers to and from General Santos City, similar to the one at the photo below, featuring an AirBus A320.

Aside from that, they have a 15-kilo FREE Baggage Allowance and along with it, a 7-kilo FREE Handcarried Baggage Allowance, a feature not available on Cebu Pacific.
Now if they could only include Payment Centers and Debit Cards for their online bookings and not just Credit Cards (just like Cebu Pacific), then everybody will truly be happy!
Read: Bariles inside Cebu Pacific’s SMILE Magazine
AirPhil Express has already invited a few select guests on October 20, to witness their “General Santos-Manila Flight Launching Service Airbus 320”, as it says on their invitation card.
Since the plane leaves Manila at 5:15am on that day, the invitees have been requested to be at the General Santos International Airport as early as 6:00AM.
Hope to be there to be there too! This is something not to be missed!
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[…] March 22, 2012, AirPhil Express will be flying passengers out of the General Santos City International Airport to new destinations […]
ano pa ba ang hinihintay nyo basa lng kayo ng basa blog na para mas maraming reaction makakarating sa kinaukulan.
@Toinks & @ Jerwin. I completely agree with you guys its about time that our airport should have a major facelift but this could only realize if our air traffic is justifiable. Sana meron nang lights sa runway during night time.
As far I know our tambler airport has a total area of 600 hectares which is the same with NAIA. Diosdado Macapagal/Clark Airport is about 1,300 hectares, more or less. Not bad for a local airport such ours when passenger traffic will increase, we still have luxury of space for expansion. Kaya lang dapat mapa ganda naman sana since its a reflection of our city.
Parang kelan lang nung binuksan 1996 inaugurate headed by former pres. Ramos natapunan pa sya ng kamatis dahil sa pag approved nya sa SPCPD na totoong walang nangyari instead ginastos sa armas at barracks ng ……
Anyway luma na ang airport natin tapos para syang palengke lalo na sa arrival area ang init tapos rumble sa pagkuha ng bagahe nakakahiya….. katulad sya ng NAIA Terminal 1 30 yrs old airport ayun world worst airport na tuloy parang CR kasi eh.
Basta ang pangit na ng airport natin looking forward for development na its time…..Peace
@White Knight, lagi noh? butangan na lang gigantic blower aron kontrahon ang peste nga crosswind na yan. hahaha
Para lang po sa kaalaman ng lahat… hindi po sakop ng Brgy. Tambler ang lote ng buong paliparan. Bagkus ito ay nasa teritoryo ng Brgy. Fatima. May part lang or side mismo ng lote ng airport ang nasa boundary mismo ng brgy. tambler at brgy. fatima, partcularly that part of the edge of runway 35 na malapit sa dry creek. yung creek mismo ang boundary ng dalawang brgy. Probably it was the americans who intentionally called it tambler airport kasi mas okay sa kanilang pangdinig ang word na Tambler…na parang pitsel lang. hahaha
@White Knight, if you only knew what i mean….pero tama most of the times ay malakas talaga ang wind sa hapon. pero sa gensan city ay bearable naman ito. im sure alam yan ng mga piloto. at definitely hindi mahirap maglanding sa gensan airport kahit pa malakas ang hangin kasi mataas ang altitude ng airport. for all you know, gensan has safest airport in the philippines…itanong nyo pa sa mga aviators na naka land na sa gensan airport. ang problema pa sa airport natin ay wala pang approach lights ang runway para maka land ang airplanes kahit na gabi at malakas ang ulan o poor visibility conditions…kaya mga airlines nag aalangan mag operate sa gensan sa gabi eh…kailan kaya ito aaksyonan ng kinauukulan?
by the way, tita ko kararating lang galing iloilo at sa davao pa sya bumaba dahil wala daw flight papuntang gensan…kelan daw kaya magkakaroon…tanong nya…
@toinks. Maybe this true. The wind is strong during afternoon. I have experienced this many times when the plane is about to touch down in our runway only to wait for another 15 minutes cause the plane makes a turn around over glamang area. Siguro windmill is a good option for our electric shortage as well or solar.
@bariles. Definitely and thanks Kuya Avel for the confirmation. I’m a bit excited to see soon that we have other flights in Mindanao & Visayas areas. Hindi na tayo mag connecting flight pa and we could save much not only in money but as well in time. Caticlan (Boracay) & Zamboanga which i forgot to mentioned previously, is also a potential market
to all,
Yes mas nice kung lahat that not only manny, kung lahat mas maganda, tama yan unahin pagandahin ang airport particular ang Terminal building at lagyan ng mga aerobridges kasi as of now parang public toilet lang ng ibang Airport ang Airport ng Gensan, sana kahit kagaya man lang ng Airport ng Ilo2x..
@kibra, more than 18 years old na rin naman ang GenSan Airport (na kung tawagin ng mga flight stewardess before landing ay Tambler Airport). Pero di naman siguro parang public toilet oi. Hahaha! But please do not forget na mula sa National Government ang budget ng pagpapaayos nito. The LGU could only recommend and request. But as it is now, may mga magandang pagbabago na. Will share some new photos soon!
Lagyan ng blower mas balanse lol
Anu kaya ang nangyari at ngayon lang narealize ng mga airlines (e.g. Airphil) na may market nga ang SOCSKSARGEN area? Even Cebu Pacific’s CEB-GES-CEB is always fully booked ahead of schedule! Hindi pa ba sapat na reason yon na dumagdag ng another flight to CEB? Tuloy ang ibang passengers lalo na yung last minute na bumibili ng tickets ay di na makakuha ng tickets…tatakbo pa sa davao para lang makabiyahe.
@Sir Bariles, hahaha malakas ang hangin sa hapon? Saan po ba galing ang hangin? Sa North o South? LOL …suspetsa ko ay sa Northeast of GenSan galing ang hangin na yan kung kaya mahirap lumanding dahil nagkakaroon ng napakalakas na CROSSWIND. hahaha
@toinks. Maybe its about time that we have to affirm what we deserve. Our flight traffic could not take off because we haven’t believe our potentials nor convince local airline companies to open more flight destinations: Iloilo-Tagbilaran (Bohol)-Bacolod-Cagayan de Oro-Butuan-Surigao-Puerto Princesa, Ilocos, etc. With varied culture and business potentials we have in our city & nearby provinces it would not be impossible that later on it would be an opener. Hope our city government would be as enthusiastic as we are in making our airport truly functional. We are looking forward to make this thing happen soon.
White Knight, I was there during the inaugural flight of AirPhil Express last week and their officers who flew in were very much impressed on the bookings that their upcoming flights have garnered. Laging fully booked ang flights to and from GenSan. May market talaga… for passenger traffic and I am sure, for cargo too. Sa lawak ng area (buong South Central Mindanao) na kini-cater ng tatlong airlines, I am pretty sure that they will be adding more flights, to more areas soon! And I agree with you, we should believe in our potentials…. and patronize all these investors coming in. Only then can we prove to them that General Santos City is really an investor’s haven. 🙂
Pansinin nyo, lahat ng flights to manila naka tambak lahat sa umaga…tapos sa hapon ay iisang flight na lang…anung meron sa umaga? LOL hindi talaga balanse eh…sana merong flight sa umaga, tanghali, hapon at gabi. TSk!
@Toinks, disbalanse nga. Mas malakas siguro ang hangin sa hapon, mas mahirap maglanding. But that’s just me. Am not really sure. Hahaha! 🙂 😀
Under served masyado ang gensan when it comes to air linkages. nakakaapekto ito ng malaki sa ekonomiya ng ating city. this problem must be addresses fully with the help of the proper authorities and the airline operators themselves.
@Sir Bariles, its a million dollar question nga po talaga kung why until now ay wala pang flights from gensan to iloilo or bacolod. Even our once daily flight to cebu is not enough. marami ang hindi nakakuha ng ticket dahil fully booked lagi ang flight. bakit nga ba hindi nila ito dagdagan? tuloy ang iba ay sa davao pa sumasakay or bumababa…bakit what is going on around? tsk!
Mananalo ako I will I need all positive to get in and ready to invest gensan….. libre ang mangarap….
We urge government to do something.
Kuya Avel: Sana matugunan yan kuya noh? Ganda siguro ng tourism dito sa Gensan. Kuya patingin ng mga pictures ng AirPhil maiden flight ha. Thanks.
Jerwin: Pagpalain ka sana at baka manalo ka at ikaw na ang magpapakatotoo sa mga suggestions namin. Hehe. Regarding sa renovation sa airport, wala pa rin akong nakikitang pagbabago except dun sa pedestrian sidewalks na may mga shades na. But not an improvement pa rin given the budget na 200M. Pero may mabuhay lounge naman ang PAL sa loob ng airport. Di lang ako sure. Sayang talaga ang airport kasi biggest yan in Mindanao and has the third longest runway in the country next from Clark and NAIA. Sana nga maglagay sila ng aerobridges (tube) kahit tatlo lang, each per airline.
Kung magiging maganda naman ang tourism dito sa GenSan pero pag baba mo ng eroplano underdeveloped/ under maintenance naman ang airport, unsatisfactory pa rin. With all these blessings and opportunities na dumadating dito sa GenSan, sana pagandahin pa ng city governement natin ang ating “international” airport so that when every tourist steps out from the plane, masasabi nilang WOW GENSAN!
Indeed a very good suggestion, If i won a million in a lotto why not I will build all your suggestion at the same gawing theme park at festival city…..aquarium for tuna and waterpark slide tapos may hotel sa gitna kagaya dito sa Atlantis The Palm Dubai.. Regarding nga pala sa airport ano na po ang nangyari sa 200 million modernization. Sana yung airport building kahit second floor doon na lng ang departure tapos may tube….. why not…..regards
Good!:) Ngayon pa lang siguradng mggng busy na ang airways ng Gensan Int’l Airport.. from early morning to late afternoon.. Soon will be evening flights and even in the dawn.:) Sana nga lng wag lng msydng mababa pgpapalipad nla ksi mnsan maingay!! hehe, im from fatima ksi and almost maabot muna ng mga planes pgngalanding and ngatake.off.. wew.. heheh.;) Magandang Gensan! (^_^)
i hope i can make it vel…
It’s good na Airbus 320 na ginagamit nila ngayun compare dati na Boeing 737-200. Mas marami ng pasaherong makakasakay. 🙂
@Kibra: Totally agree sa yung mga Proposals. Pero not just Manny Pakyaw. Also, the persons/groups who brought the name of the city to international/national scenes.Gaya ni Philip Nadela (First Grand Little Dreamer), Nonito Donaire, XB Gensan and True Colors, Shamcey, Gerald A., and Melai. Ok rin kung may kanya kanya silang station sa Plaza Heneral Santos with their pictures with descriptions and their contributions. Ok rin yung TUNA UNDERWATER OCEAN PARK. Hehe.
@Dapdap, ganda ng suggestions mo. Since Home of Champions nga tayo, it should not be Pacman alone. 🙂
@glengonz, sasama ako. Official photographer mo, as always. 🙂
@Mark, mas maganda kung gamit na gamit ang airport natin para magkaroon na talaga ng biyahe ang mga jeep at para di malugi ang mga taxi. Regarding sa ingay, maglagay na lang kayo ng cotton sa tenga. Joke! Thanks for commenting again, Mark.
Bakit sa Davao may flight sila? Tapos dito sa SOCCSKSARGEN wala eh dito nga yung concentration ng mga Ilonggo and Hiligaynon sa Mindanao…Is there any reason why?
@Toinks, that’s the million dollar question. 🙂
Kuya Avel may nabasa ako rito na isang post as one recommendations for the benefit of Region 12 and Gensan in particular, 1st is yong yong regarding Manny’s Legacy, Mangyari sana na magawan ng paraan na Gawan ng Museum si Manny na doon makita lahat ng kangyang Achievements, History, Bibliography, Lifesize Statue, ect, etc. na gawing one of the tourist attractions ng Gensan. pwedeng may entrance fee in reasonable price para income generating kasi malaki din talaga ang na contribute ni Manny para marecognize ang Gensan worldwide.. then sana yong Tuna industry na syang backbone din ng Gensan sana time will come na gawan din ito ng giant aquarium gaya ng sa singapore parang nasa ilalim ka ng dagat at doon mo makita ang real Tuna pra din mapreserve species na ito na naging backbone of industry ng Syudad na siyang nagbigay ng malaking development ng General Santos at para din makita ng future generations and of course gawin pa ring tourist attraction w/ a fee para income generating din, Manila nga meron silang Ocean’s Park na di naman talaga sila kilala sa sa isda d b? sana kahit dahan2x lang.. tnx.
Congrats..more flights in Gensan soon. I hope may GES-Iloilo in the future.
This is good news indeed! Sana mag offer din ang Airphil Express ng gensan-iloilo-gensan and gensan-bacolod-gensan route.
Congrats and more power to Airphil Express! 🙂
@Toinks & @rees, a lot of people have been clamoring for the Iloilo-Ges-Iloilo flights since time immemorial. Considering the huge # of Ilonggo-speaking population in Soccsksargen, CebPac and AirPhil Express should consider this opportunity. A three-times-per-week schedule would surely help the exchange of trade and commerce between the two regions. Amen.
@kibra, harinawa magdilang-anghel ka. After matugunan na ang mga basic services na pangangailangan ng taga-GenSan, am sure, ang mga suggestions mo na ang haharapin ng ating mga opisyales ng siyudad.
Yehey, more choices! And more competitions, lower airfares and better service!