PBBM, Brussels Airport CEO eye direct flights to PH

Nakipagpulong si Pangulong Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. kay Brussels Airport Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Arnaud Feist sa sidelines ng ASEAN-EU Union Commemorative Summit sa Belgium. (OPS)

MANILA – President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. on Tuesday met with Brussels Airport chief executive officer (CEO) Arnaud Feist to discuss the possibility of launching nonstop flights between Belgium and the Philippines.

Marcos, who is currently in Brussels, met with Feist on the sidelines of his participation in the commemorative summit between the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and the European Union (EU).

The plan to set up flights between Brussels and Manila is meant to allow passengers to enjoy “hassle-free” travel, the Office of the President (OP) said in a Facebook post.

“During the meeting, they discussed the setting up of direct flights from Brussels to Manila, allowing Filipinos, Europeans, and Southeast Asians to travel and enjoy hassle-free flights to and from the Philippines and Belgium,” the OP said.

To date, no airline offers direct flights between the Philippines and Belgium.

Feist serves as a Board Member of the Brussels Enterprises Commerce and Industry (BECI) since 2011 and Airports Council International (ACI) Europe since 2018.

Brussels Airport, one of Europe’s largest airports, accommodated an estimated 9,357,221 passengers and transported more than 843,000 tons of cargo in 2021, according to the data released on its official website.

The airport connects Brussels to more than 200 destinations worldwide.

After his meeting with Feist, Marcos is set to participate in the 10th ASEAN-EU Business Summit.

With the Philippines as the current Country Coordinator on ASEAN-EU Dialogue Relations, the President will conclude the Business Summit as he delivers his remarks before fellow leaders of the ASEAN and EU Member States.