MANILA, Philippines (AP) - Air Philippines Corp., the low-cost carrier of tycoon Lucio Tan, has ordered three 50-seater turboprop airplanes from a Canadian aircraft manufacturer, the Filipino company's top official said Tuesday.
The first of the three Bombardier Q300 planes from Bombardier Aerospace will be delivered in November said Edilberto Medina, president and chief executive of Air Philippines.
The three planes cost $56 million.
Air Philippines also signed an option agreement to acquire three more of the same aircraft.
The first Q300 will be used to carry passengers to central Caticlan town, the gateway to the resort island of Boracay. Two other planes are due in the first quarter of 2008, Medina said.
''The addition of the Q300 to the Air Philippines fleet underpins our route expansion,'' Medina said in a statement.
Air Philippines currently operates eight Boeing 737-200 jets, serving 12 points in the Philippines. It also operates charter flights to South Korea.
