Akiestar

5J serves BKI from Manila daily, and given 5J's current schedules for much of Mindanao (except for DVO and CGY) in comparison to BKI, either you will suffer long layovers in MNL, or you will have to do an overnighter.

In addition, MH also serves BKI from CEB 3-4 times a week.

I won't be surprised though if ZAM-SDK gets cut again. This is Asian Spirit/Zest Airways' third (maybe fourth) foray into Sandakan in its entire history, and I hope that it won't get cut, but I have the feeling it will if Zest can't justify sustaining the route. If SEAIR couldn't do it with Let 410s, and Asian Spirit also couldn't do it with Let 410s, what makes you think Zest will change things just by sending larger MA-60s? Unless they seriously lower fares on this route, people will still prefer to take the more affordable fast ferry than the plane (if I'm correct, the difference between the time it takes to get to Sandakan by boat and the time it takes to get there by plane is negligible).

In addition, SDK is not Z2's first international destination: that role is filled by HKG, where scheduled service from CRK (routing of the aircraft being MNL-CRK-HKG and vice-versa) will begin on September 21. SDK won't come online until October 16.

Wings Air currently operates scheduled charters between DVO and MDO. These are operated once a week, if I'm correct, and are only bookable in Davao from the airline's ticketing office (or perhaps from travel agencies, but I haven't tried). The service was previously a revenue service, and this was done through a motley of carriers: PAL, then Bouraq, then Merpati, then Sriwijaya, then Wings Air before shifting DVO-MDO to a scheduled charter service.

Likewise, Pacific Pearl Airways is supposed to start service from DVO to BWN, and AirAsia has expressed interest in opening routes to DVO and ZAM from BKI. All these routes are thanks to BIMP-EAGA open skies.