CLARK FREEPORT, Pampanga – Zest Air started last Saturday its International daily flight via Clark-Hong Kong at the Diosdado Macapagal International Airport (DMIA) here.

Clark International Airport Corp. (CIAC) President and CEO Victor Jose I. Luciano, Chairman Nestor Mangio, Zest Air President and CEO Ambassador Alfredo M. Yao and Subic Secretary of Clark Alliance for Development Council (SCADC) Edgardo Pamintuan led the inaugural flight of Zest Air, the second budget carrier to operate internationally at DMIA.

A simple send-off ceremony was held at the DMIA VIP Lounge at terminal 1 last Saturday afternoon.

Zest Air (formerly Asian Spirit) will be using its brand-new Air Bus 320 with a capacity of 166 seats arriving at the DMIA at 2:30 p.m. for its inaugural daily flight to Hong Kong signaling the start of its full commercial operations at DMIA here.

Round-trip tickets for only $70 each were given by Zest Air as part of their promotional campaign at DMIA

Zest Air is second to Cebu Pacific as a local budget air carrier to operate international commercial operations at DMIA. The air carrier also flies local domestic operations via Clark-Caticlan flights to the world famous Boracay Beach Island Resort in the Visayas.

“We welcome Zest Air for their international operations at DMIA and CIAC will support their endeavor for the development of the airport,” Luciano and Mangio said.

Zest Air started their South East Asian flights in June 2009 such as Singapore, Macau, Hong Kong, Incheon in South Korea, Fukuoka and Okinawa in Japan, and their local destinations in the country such as Bacolod, Boracay, Busuanga, Cagayan de Oro, Calbayog, Catarman, Cebu, Clark, Davao, Iloilo, Kalibo, Manila, Legazpi, Naga, Puerto Princesa, Tabales, Tacloban, Tagbilaran, and Virac.

In March 2008, AMY Holdings Corporation established Zest Airways Inc., as it sees the opportunity for growth in the Airline and Aviation Industry in the country. In September 2008, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) approved the corporate name of Zest Air and the judicial personality of Zest Airways Inc. was established.

President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo designated DMIA the country’s Premier International Airport right after the Ninoy Aquino Internation Airport (NAIA) in Manila.