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By CHRIS JONES
GAMING WIRE
Though he'd barely had time to reset his wristwatch, let alone drop a quarter or two in any nearby slot machines, Philippine Airlines President and Chief Operating Officer Avelino Zapanta wasted little time Tuesday outlining his grand intentions for Las Vegas, his company's newest American destination.
"We're happy to be here," Zapanta said Tuesday, shortly after he disembarked Flight 106 from Manila by way of Vancouver, British Columbia. "We are here to stay."
Asia's oldest active airline made its first flight to McCarran International Airport this week, a feat Zapanta said marked a new chapter in his company's 63-year history. He's confident Philippine Air's four weekly flights here will fare better than the previous Asian carrier that gambled on Las Vegas, Singapore Airlines, which in April abruptly canceled its thrice-weekly service about eight months after it started.
"There are many developments in the marketplace that told us to go," Zapanta said. "We have a developing Filipino community here, and many people in the Philippines and Asia are...