By Alexandria Grace C. Magno
PHILIPPINE AIRASIA, INC. (AirAsia Philippines) said it is “pushing very hard” to reach its seven-million-passenger goal by the end of the year amid flight cancellations.
“We are pushing very hard to reach the seven-million target. As you know, there have been some cancellations due to typhoons and natural issues, which are beyond the airline’s control,” President and General Manager Suresh Bangah told BusinessWorld on the sidelines of the launch of its Cebu hub expansion on Saturday.
“But yes, we are going to push very, very hard and try to make up as much as possible during the peak travel period to reach our target by the end of December.”
In May, AirAsia announced it had received about 3.5 million advance bookings, noting that booking surges typically occur in the second half of the year or during holiday periods.
From January to June, the low-cost carrier recorded over three million passengers. The airline, however, did not provide updated figures.
On Saturday, AirAsia Philippines began operating two new international routes and three domestic routes from the Mactan-Cebu International Airport (MCIA), part of five new services that further expand its Cebu hub.
Starting Nov. 15, AirAsia Philippines will operate flights from Cebu to Iloilo, Caticlan, and Davao, while also offering services between Cebu and Kuala Lumpur and Macau. Its inaugural Kuala Lumpur-Cebu flight was welcomed with a water cannon salute upon arrival.
FLEET EXPANSIONMeanwhile, AirAsia Philippines Communications and Public Affairs Head Steve F. Dailisan said the carrier’s current operational fleet is sufficient to meet peak travel demand this December, while reiterating its plans to expand.
“According to Captain Suresh, the plan is still there. So currently, it’s 16 in Manila and two here in Cebu, but in his previous announcement, we will gradually increase the fleet size of two per year,” he said.
In July, AirAsia Philippines said it aimed to expand its operational fleet to 19 aircraft to meet growing demand and boost capacity.
“Every year, from 2026. So that’s the original plan, but it can go higher depending on the market demand but so far as growth is concerned, at least two aircraft per year,” Mr. Dailisan said.