That's kind of good news.Raises so many questions especially
will it replace the QF19/20 service
capacity at MNL
wish they would use either CRK or CEB instead, especially CRK.
Who knows, but perhaps JQ has cottoned on that Filipinos are about fifth largest source of migrants to Oz these days, and that by and large they're a price sensitive market (as well might be the Vietnamese.)
Since QF is increasing flights SYD - MNL to daily by end of 2018, it doesn't strike me that it's about to cede that to its subsidiary.
Capacity at MNL is stretched although one suspects part of the problem is inefficient use of runways, though our aviators are better placed to comment. Still, QF must have managed to get approval to land and take off for Tuesdays, and before that, Thursdays. The airfield either rid itself of or dramatically reduced access by general aviation as previously there was a ridiculous situation of far smaller planes than say ZL operates in Oz taking up valuable MNL slots.
Economy up there as you acknowledge appears to be booming but inflation has taken off to above five per cent so that may be a dampener, and in time reduce discretionary travel. Against that, like some other southeast Asian economies, the middle class is expanding and there's the extra bonus of remittances flooding in to many families' bank accounts or coming via someone delivering cash to the household.
Isn't CRK too slow to get to for many from Metro Manila? I haven't been there much but once it took me well in excess of two hours from wherever I was in Manila to get to what was then a quiet airport, though in past year it's become busier. There's no railway and traffic on the tollway at times can be 'southeast Asian' in congestion.
CEB has a new international terminal opened a few days ago and attracts flights from South Korea and mainland China, but perhaps premature as you imply to expect flights ex Oz. No airline runs nonstops from Oz to LGK in Malaysia or LOP in Indonesia, even from PER.
Would JQ operate MEL - MNL or CRK flights to leave SYD to QF?