New airline to fly BARMM routes starting April 24

A new airline based in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) is set to serve and fly across the region beginning Wednesday, April 24.

The Bangsamoro Airways seeks to connect mainland BARMM to its island provinces “to make the provision of significant services accessible, strengthen bureaucracy and logistics, and bolster the region’s economy, tourism, and employment, among others,” according to the Bangsamoro Information Office.

Bangsamoro Board of Investments chairperson Mohammad Pasigan said the Bangsamoro Airways—which will be operated by the Federal Airways Incorporated—-will initially ply the Zamboanga City and Sulu routes.

It currently has a limited seating capacity, catering to only six to ten passengers, including the aviators.

The airline is also expected to extend its services to two Tawi-Tawi municipalities, Sibutu and Mapun, after three months of operation; and further to Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia a year later.

Pasigan said the opening of the Bangsamoro Airways will hopefully bring more investors to BARMM, yielding a continuous growth in investments in the region.

He also underscored the importance of upholding peace and order in the region to attract more investors.

“Our greatest help as Bangsamoro citizens is to make our region peaceful and safe for our investors,” he said in a statement. — Giselle Ombay/RSJ, GMA Integrated News