An upstart regional airline company launched its maiden flight between Davao City and Tagbilaran on Sunday morning, heeding the call of both local government units which passed respective council resolution addressed to Philippine Airlines, Cebu Pacific and Zest Air.

Davao City tourism officer Jason C. Magnaye said the company, Cebu-based Midsea Express, will utilize the 32-seater jetstream aircraft in flying three times weekly to both destinations. “I think they are targeting the weekend by flying Davaoeños there on Friday then come back on Monday,” he told the TIMES in a phone interview.

He said the next step is to craft a strategy on how to promote Davao City to Bohol because a number of them may not know much about the area or apprehensive about it being located in Mindanao.

The Davao city council in 2008 passed Resolution No. 0768, authored by Councilor Conrado C. Baluran, who hails from Loboc in Bohol himself, urging airline companies to service the route connecting Bohol and Davao. In 2009, lawmakers in Tagbilaran also passed Resolution No. 09-78, authored by Councilor Nerio Zamora II, with the same request.

Both resolutions noted Davao City and Tagbilaran City as two of the prime destinations in the country.

Magnaye said the group visited his office sometime in July or August this year, informing him of their plan to open a route based on the need after getting wind of both resolutions passed by the respective city councils.

At present, a tourist from Davao will have to fly to Cebu then take a fastcraft to Tagbilaran. The whole trip will take nearly three hours.

“The direct flight (meanwhile) between Davao and Tagbilaran will take a little less than an hour. Just a bit longer than Davao and Cebu,” Magnaye said.

He said the cost is quite affordable with an introductory airfare price of about P2,000.

Midsea Express traces its roots to the Island Helicopter Services, a chopper aviation service firm based in Cebu, which was established in 2008. Aside from commercial helicopter service, the company also offers repair/rebuild, medical emergency transport and pilot training.

In 2011, after seeing the need to service missionary routes, the Midsea Express was born. According to its website, Midsea Express is a “non-scheduled air transportation provider, covering Cebu-Tagbilaran as its launching route.”

Arturo C. Boncato Jr., regional director of the Department of Tourism in the Davao Region, said domestic tourism remains the backbone of the tourism industry of the city. “Davao City is fortunate to be connected to new destinations like Tagbilaran as it diversifies the city’s domestic mix with probable new markets.”

“The city is getting better and more attractive to tourists given its priority focus on tourism development,” he added.

Magnaye said they also urged the airline to open a direct flight between Davao City and Cotabato City and while the response was optimistic, airline executives told him they will focus first on developing Davao and Tagbilaran route.