The Philippine unit of Southeast Asia’s largest budget airline said Thursday passenger traffic grew by 35 percent in the third quarter of 2023 on the back of strong demand for domestic and international flights.
Air Asia Philippines said passengers carried in the July to September period reached 1.64 million, higher than 1.21 million passengers in the same period last year.
AirAsia Philippines posted a 368-percent year-on-year (YoY) increase in international passengers carried, flying over 354,000 passengers
Load factor was at 92 percent, up by 4 percentage points from 89 percent last year.
Air Asia’s Tan Sri Anthony Francis Fernandes earlier pledged to invest $1 billion for the expansion of their operations in the Philippines.
The airline plans to grow its aircraft from 30 to 50 including wide-body aircraft in the next few years.
The Romero family led by Michael and Sheila Romero earlier announced the sale of their 60-percent stake in AirAsia to AA Com Travel Philippines Inc., while Capital A, formerly AirAsia Group Berhad, owns the remaining 40 percent.
AirAsia Philippines operates daily flights from Manila to Bacolod, Cebu, Cagayan, Davao, Iloilo, Kalibo, Caticlan (Boracay), Puerto Princesa, Tacloban, Tagbilaran and Zamboanga. Other inter island destinations flying out of AirAsia’s Cebu hub include Cagayan, Davao, Caticlan, Puerto Princesa and Clark.
Its active international destinations include Kuala Lumpur, Kota Kinabalu, Bangkok, Singapore, Taipei, Osaka, Incheon, Hong Kong, Tokyo and Bali.