By Beatriz Marie D. Cruz, Reporter
MADRID — “The right carrier” is still being awaited to mount direct flights between Spain and the Philippines following the 2018 signing of the air service agreement between the two countries, Philippine Ambassador to Spain Philippe Jones Lhuillier said.
Speaking to BusinessWorld earlier this month in Madrid, Mr. Lhuillier said direct service is “important” for boosting trade and tourism with the European Union’s (EU) fourth-largest economy.
“(What we need) is to find the right carrier that wants to take it,” Mr. Lhuillier said.
“We signed an air service treaty years ago,” according to Mr. Lhuillier, who concluded the agreement with then Spanish Minister of Public Works and Transport José Luis Ábalos Meco.
The Embassy said it has been in talks with Philippine Airlines (PAL) on the possibility of adding service to Spain.
“We’re hoping that we could convince PAL because it’s going to be a very crucial piece in our effort to really draw both countries together,” Deputy Head of Mission and Consul General Mark Francis C. Hamoy told BusinessWorld.
“Our argument is: if you want to start a Europe direct flight, Manila-Madrid is the most logical,” he added.
Madrid also serves as a gateway to Latin America, Mr. Lhuillier noted, adding to the connectivity available to Philippine businesses and tourists.
“Once you get to Madrid, Iberia flies practically to all of Latin America,” Mr. Hamoy added, referring to Spain’s flag carrier. “(PAL) might even be able to enter into a codesharing agreement with Iberia.”
Spain remains one of the most visited countries in the EU. In 2024, it welcomed a record 94 million international visitors.
“Spain, as a whole, draws in 90 million tourists every year from around the world. That’s two times their population,” Mr. Hamoy said. “If you’re flying here, you can actually market to the whole world.”
As of April, Spanish visitors to the Philippines totaled 15,998, according to the Philippine Department of Tourism. The totals from Spain lag other European nationals, led by the British (65,923), Germans (37,088), and French (36,702).
“The only way you can strengthen bilateral relations is if there’s a degree of familiarity, a degree of awareness, because all it takes is just one visit,” Mr. Hamoy said.
Mr. Lhuillier has been the envoy to Spain since 2017 but was retained in place after a conversation with President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. on his remaining plans for developing the Madrid relationship, including direct flights.
“I spoke to (Mr. Marcos), and I said, ‘You know, I want to stay in Spain because there’s still a lot of opportunities which I’m excited about,’” he added.
Mr. Lhullier was the Philippine Ambassador to Italy between 1999 to 2010, and to Portugal between 2012 and 2016.
In 2027, the Philippines will be celebrating its 80th year of diplomatic relations with Spain.
Mr. Hamoy said the bilateral relationship “hasn’t really reached the full promise and potential.”
“For example, on the cultural side, there’s a lot of archival documents that are just lying around in the different archives of Spain,” he said.
The Embassy will be launching a book in 2027 detailing the history of Philippines-Spain relations, in time for the 80th anniversary of diplomatic relations.
Mr. Lhuillier said the two countries’ history with each other has been somewhat neglected.
“Spain and the Philippines — we have forgotten one another. So now, we have to push more in realizing the importance of our diplomatic relations,” he added.
Mr. Lhuillier called for the appointment of a Philippine tourism attaché to Spain, who will work to convince more visitor traffic to the Philippines.
“Before the end of the term of President Marcos, hopefully, all of our dreams will come true,” he said.
