CLARK -- Boutique carrier Sunlight Air has transferred its hub from Manila to Clark with its inaugural flight out of Clark International Airport launched on Monday, April 1. 

Sunlight Air CEO Ryna Brito-Garcia said they will operate Clark flights to/from Coron and San Vicente in Palawan, as well as Siargao and Caticlan-Boracay. She said Clark International Airport is a better option as passengers can feel more comfortable at the new terminal.

At the same time, she said there is a whole new potential customers with millions living in Central Luzon.

• Sunlight Air eyes to break even by next year

“It’s a lot more spacious. They have [an] innovative approach into doing things also. They have self check-in kiosks, they have the baggage drop,” said Brito-Garcia.

She however admitted that operating costs are now higher for them, but vowed not to raise airfare. 

“Even if that means tumaas yung operating costs namin or yung direct costs ng airline, we’d still go ahead with the decision just to be able to give our passengers the customer service that we envisioned for them.”

Brito-Garcia was a newcomer in the aviation sector when she and her family started Sunlight Air in the middle of the Covid-19 pandemic in 2021. She was just around 26 years old then. She attributed the success of the airline to her team as well as to her being a "millennial CEO".

Watch more News on iWantTFC

“As a millennial CEO, I’m more dynamic. I’m quicker to adjust or to adapt to certain situations. And at the same time as a traveler myself, I really prioritize the customer experience that the passengers go through when they travel,” she said.

With their new hub in Clark, she now eyes expansion plans by possibly adding new routes and new planes in 2-3 years. She is also considering having interline collaborations with international airlines so foreign tourists can take Sunlight Air to go to islands in the Philippines.

Clark International Airport operator Luzon International Premiere Airport Development Corp. (LIPAD Corp.) welcomes the arrival of Sunlight Air to help them boost the airport’s domestic connections.

LIPAD CEO Noel Manankil vowed to provide new passengers efficiency in processes as well as convenience and comfort.

• Back to nature: 5 things to do in San Vicente, Palawan
• No. 1 hotel in PH according to Tripadvisor guest reviews is found in Palawan