Filipinos may soon directly fly to Brussels in Belgium while Europeans can explore Manila and use it as an entry point to neighboring Southeast Asian countries after President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.’s meeting in Europe yielded discussions on the need to connect the two countries.

Filipinos traveling to Western Europe could also use Brussels as an entry point if the direct flights are launched.

The Chief Executive is in Brussels from Dec. 12 to 14 to attend the The Association of Southeast Asian Nations-European Union (ASEAN-EU) Commemorative Summit, where he is expected to outline his administration’s goals at the Summit including agricultural, trade, and maritime ties.

Part of his agenda was to meet with airport officials on Tuesday, Dec. 13, on the sidelines of the commemorative summit.

Marcos sees the opening of non-stop flights to Brussels as an opportunity for Filipinos to explore what Belgium and the rest of Western Europe have to offer.

“When we talk about Brussels in our mind, it’s really Western Europe because, very clearly, Brussels is the center of that. And that is something of great interest,” he said.

“The pent-up demand over the pandemic is now beginning to show itself, and the demand for air travel has actually increased a great deal more quickly than any had expected,” the President added.

The proposal to open the Manila-Brussels direct flight came from Brussels airport officials who showed great interest in gaining a foothold in the Philippines.

Arnaud Feist, chief executive officer of Brussels Airport Company, said the Manila-Brussels direct flight is a “win-win” for both countries.

“We are working on the opportunity to have a direct flight between Manila and Brussels... And we think that basically there is a win-win for both countries to be connected directly,” he stressed.

During the meeting, Marcos pushed for the plan by pointing out that all capitals in Southeast Asia are within a few hours flight from Manila.

“That’s something that we would like to take advantage of and explore in terms of making the areas more accessible... I think there’s a great deal of opportunity that would be advantageous for the both of us,” Marcos said.

Philippine Airlines (PAL) officials, who were with the Chief Executive’s delegation, said they are “really interested” in opening direct flights between the two countries as this would make the whole Europe more accessible for Filipinos while European tourists are more likely to visit the Philippines.

“That’s really the vision that we are excited to see. We want to improve the economic activities in the Philippines and also here,” Stanly Ng, PAL president and chief operating officer, said.

Among those who attended the event were officials from the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), the Department of Transportation (DOTr), and PAL.

Also in attendance were House Speaker Martin Romualdez and Senator Mark Villar.