Philippines AirAsia resumes international flights

Philippines AirAsia (Z2, Manila Ninoy Aquino Int’l) has resumed international flights with an inaugural service to Singapore Changi following a two-year commercial flight hiatus due to COVID-19.

The airline’s maiden flight to Singapore, Z2 825 from Manila Ninoy Aquino Int’l on December 4, carried Filipino workers and business travellers returning to the Philippines for the Christmas holidays. The AirAsia Group subsidiary also hopes to cater to leisure travel demand on the route as soon as tourism recovers from the pandemic, spokesman Steve Dailisan said a statement. The service will operate weekly for the time being.

Given the impact of the pandemic, Philippines AirAsia’s operations have been restricted to domestic flights connecting Manila with Iloilo, Cebu, Caticlan, Tacloban, Cagayan de Oro Laguindingan, Kalibo, Bacolod, Panglao, General Santos, Zamboanga, and Davao. According to the ch-aviation fleets advanced module, just five of the twenty-four A320-200s Philippines AirAsia operates have been active of recent.

In its last round of financials for 3Q21 (pre-Omicron), AirAsia Group said AirAsia Philippines demonstrated a strong performance during the quarter, posting 167% growth in the number of passengers carried year-on-year and a 5% increase quarter-on-quarter. Load factors were listed as a “healthy” 77%, attributed to “active capacity management”.