The owners of AirSWIFT (T6, Manila Ninoy Aquino International) have said they are in sale discussions with several airlines, not just Cebu Pacific Air, although they admit it is the negotiations with Cebu that are the most advanced.
The talks are "not exclusive in the sense that we are entertaining several," Mariana Zobel de Ayala, executive director of current owner Ayala Land, told Manila-based outlets this week. "I guess what came out in the news is our discussions with Cebu Pacific. When we started this process, our objective really was like what would be the best customer experience, so we thought it would be best to cast a wide net."
As recently reported in ch-aviation, Cebu Pacific has confirmed it has been in talks with Ayala about buying AirSWIFT. However, it stressed that these talks are "exploratory" and that nothing definitive has been agreed on.
De Ayala declined to specify which other operators the company was talking to, saying only that "there are only so many local airlines." However, she also noted that the discussions with Cebu Pacific were the most advanced. "Right now, we are progressing with our talks with Cebu Pacific," she said.
AirSWIFT operates two ATR42-600s and three ATR72-600s. Originally set up to ferry passengers to and from resorts operated by Ayala-affiliated company El Nido Resort, the carrier has grown organically to offer scheduled and non-scheduled passenger flights. Ayala is looking at selling it as running an airline is outside its core competencies. However, de Ayala said this week that the company was still undecided about whether it would sell some or all of its stake.
