Zest Airways

Infobox Airline
airline=Zest Airways
logo=
logo_size=250
fleet_size= 20 (+3 orders)
destinations=26
IATA=6K
ICAO=RIT
callsign=ASIAN SPIRIT
parent =AMY Holdings, Inc.
founded=1996 (as Asian Spirit)
headquarters=Manila, Philippines
key_people=Alfredo M. Yao (President and CEO, Donald Dee (Chairman)
hubs=

*Ninoy Aquino International Airport (Manila)

focus_cities=

*Mactan-Cebu International Airport

website= http://www.asianspirit.com/

Zest Airways, Inc., formerly called Asian Spirit, Inc., is an airline based in Pasay City, Manila in the Philippines. It operates scheduled domestic and international tourist services, mainly feeder services linking Manila and Cebu with 24 domestic destinations in support of the trunk route operations of other airlines. Its main base is Ninoy Aquino International Airport, Manila, with hubs at Mactan-Cebu International Airport and Diosdado Macapagal International Airport in the Clark Special Economic Zone, Angeles City, Pampanga.cite news | title= Directory: World Airlines | work= Flight International | page= 78 | date= 2007-03-27]

Despite the change of its corporate name, Zest Airways still operates under the Asian Spirit brand.

History

Asian Spirit was established in September 1995 by three friends, Antonio "Toti" Turalba, Emmanuel "Noel" Oñate, and Archibald Po, who contributed $1 million each to start up an Airline Employees Cooperative (AEC). They invited their 36 Filipino friends, mostly former Philippine Airlines employees to run Asian Spirit through salary to equity swap deal. [cite web | url = http://www.asianspirit.com/about.html | title = Asian Spirit History | accessdate = 2007-10-03 | publisher = Asian Spirit Website] [cite web | url = http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/storypage.aspx?StoryId=27529 | title = Asian Spirit | accessdate = 2007-12-20 | publisher = Tony Lopez, ABS-CBN Interactive] [cite web | url = http://www.philippinebusiness.com.ph/archives/magazine/vol13-2006/13-8/cover_2.htm | title = Asian Spirit: The Niche Player | accessdate = 2007-10-03 | publisher = Makati Business Club]

It started operations in April 1996 with two second hand Dash 7 aircraft servicing only one scheduled commercial route with two flights per day from Manila to Malay (Boracay), then a fledging island resort. To maximize its aircraft utilization, it introduced new routes to the present-day towns of San Jose, Virac, Daet, Tablas, and the cities of Cauayan and Masbate regarded as secondary and tertiary routes by Air Transportation Office, and are not serviced by major airlines. In 1997, the cooperative changed to a corporate set-up with the establishment of Asian Spirit Inc., whose registration was approved by the Securities and Exchange Commission in 2005.

At the time, Asian Spirit has the distinction of being the first scheduled airline to serve Boracay. Other operators served the airport on charter basis then. It became the Philippine's fourth flag carrier (after Philippine Airlines, Cebu Pacific and Air Philippines) in 2003.

The airline flies to Sandakan, Malaysia three times weekly from Zamboanga utilizing NAMC YS-11 and used to fly to Palau, Micronesia, three times weekly from Cebu and every Wednesday from Davao using BAE-146. It also previously flew to Seoul, South Korea three times weekly from Kalibo, Laoag, and Davao using its McDonnell Douglas MD-80 aircraft. [cite web | url = http://www.manilatimes.net/national/2007/sept/13/yehey/business/20070913bus12.html | title = Asian Spirit to acquire more aircraft for regional expansion | accessdate = 2007-12-20 | publisher = Manila Times] . It is expected to commence service to Bangkok and Singapore in 2008 using Airbus 320 and MD-80 aircraft slated for delivery around the same time. [cite web | url = http://www.manilatimes.net/national/2007/nov/06/yehey/business/20071106bus10.html | title = Asian Spirit joins refleeting bandwagon | accessdate = 2007-12-20 | publisher = Manila Times] .

In March 2008, Asian Spirit was sold for around P1 billion to Alfredo M. Yao, owner of the Zest-O line of juices, with the signing of a share-purchase agreement between Yao and the Airline Employees’ Cooperative (AEC) and individual shareholders led by prominent businessman and CATS founder Antonio Ang, Antonio Turalba Jr. of the Active Group Inc. and investment banker Noel Oñate. Yao disclosed that he would “initially be the president” of the airline and Donald Dee will be chairman. Dee is chairman emeritus of the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry and, like Yao, holds a government-appointed title as special envoy for international trade. Yao is special envoy for the development of tourism with China. [ [http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/storyPage.aspx?storyId=113440 "Asian Spirit sold for 'around P1B"] ]

After the takeover bid was successful, the new CEO and owner expressed interest in merging with its competitor airline, South East Asian Airlines or "SEAIR". The two airlines have been in talks with merging, and are expected to make a decision soon. [ [http://www.gmanews.tv/story/89231/SEAIR-Asian-Spirit-merger-looms-streamlining-eyed "SEAIR, Asian Spirit merger looms"] ] The New Owners of Asian Spirit, is apparently eyeing for a majority 60 percent stake in SeaAir. [ [http://www.eturbonews.com/937/yao-group-acquire-asian-spirit "Yao Group to acquire Asian Spirit"] ]

On September 30, 2008, Asian Spirit officially announced that it will be re-branding itself as Zest Airways. Reports say the name switch seeks to reflect the stake of its new owner, juice maker Zest-O Corp. The firm’s board approved the name change in August, while the Civil Aeronautics Board okayed the switch earlier this month. [ [http://www.bworldonline.com/BW093008/content.php?id=045 "Asian Spirit now called Zest Airways"] ]

Incidents and Accidents

On December 7, 1999, Asian Spirit Flight 100, a Let L-410, crashed between Kasibu in Nueva Vizcaya and Cabarroguis in Quirino. The plane was headed for Cauayan Airport in Cauayan City, killing all 15 passengers on board and 2 crew. The accident forced the closure of the Manila-Cauayan route, which remains closed to this day. [cite web
url = http://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=19991207-0&lang=en
title = ASN Aviation Safety Database
date=December 7, 1999
accessdate = 2007-04-07
publisher = aviation-safety.net] [cite web
url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/553722.stm
title = Philippines crash claims 17 lives
accessdate = 2007-04-07
date = 8 December 1999
publisher = BBC News]

On September 4, 2002 Asian Spirit flight 897 was the last flight of the day to Caticlan and departed the Manila domestic airport for at 15:36 for a one hour flight. On approach to Caticlan the right main gear failed to deploy. The approach was abandoned and the crew decided to return to Manila for an emergency landing. The plane circled for about 35 minutes over Las Piñas to burn off fuel. The crew then carried out an emergency landing with the right gear retracted on Manila's international airport runway 24. After touchdown the aircraft swerved off the runway onto a grassy area. [Cite web
url=http://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=20020904-0
title=ASN Aviation Safety Database
publisher=aviation-safety.net
date=September 4, 2002
accessdate=2008-05-07]

On November 14, 2005 Asian Spirit Flight 587, a British Aerospace BAe-146-200 reportedly aquaplaned and overran runway 04/22, a 4429 feet (1350 m) long concrete runway at Catarman National Airport. The aircraft came to rest in a muddy rice field. [Cite web
url=http://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=20051114-0
title=ASN Aviation Safety Database
publisher=aviation-safety.net
date=November 14, 2005
accessdate=2008-05-07]

On January 2, 2008, Asian Spirit Flight 321, a 70-seat Japanese-made NAMC YS-11 turboprop from Manila, piloted by Captain Alexandro Tiglao with First Officer Dominick Mendoza as co-pilot, overshot the runway at Masbate City airport at 7:30 a.m., due to heavy tailwind with gustiness to 14 knots during landing at runway 21. Although none of the 47 passengers were seriously injured, the accident destroyed the aircraft’s nozzle, the plane’s right propeller, and its right and nose wheel, and caused the plane’s fuel tank to leak. [Cite web
url=http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/topofthehour.aspx?StoryId=104163
publisher=abs-cbnnews.com
title=Plane overshoots runway in Masbate City
date=January 2, 2008
accessdate=2008-05-07]

Destinations

Fleet

The Zest Airways fleet includes the following aircraft (at 3 October 2008):

As of June 2008, the average age of the Zest Airways fleet is 22.5 years [Citation
url=http://www.airfleets.net/ageflotte/Asian%20Spirit.htm
title=Air Fleet Age: Asian Spirit
publisher=airfleets.net
accessdate=2008-10-02] .

Previously Operated

On November 2006, the airline also operated : [Flight International, 3-9 October 2006]

*1 NAMC YS-11A-200
*1 NAMC YS-11A-500

External links

* [http://www.asianspirit.com/ Asian Spirit]
* [http://www.ch-aviation.ch/aircraft.php?search=set&airline=6K&al_op=1 Asian Spirit Fleet]

References