Domestic air passenger volume went down 50 percent to 3.13 million in the first nine months of the year versus 6.3 million last year, but has registered an upward trend in the third quarter, according to the Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB).
The decline in passenger traffic was attributed to the strict travel restrictions in the domestic market and the suspension of leisure flights due to the pandemic. CAB data showed passenger volume in the third quarter stood at 1.13 million, significantly higher than the 329,438 passengers carried in the same period last year.
It is also higher than the second quarter and first quarter passenger volumes this year of 1.01 million and 988,212, respectively. Cebu Pacific Inc. and unit Cebgo remained the leading domestic airlines having flown a total of 1.6 million passengers during the period, but this was 52 percent lower than last year’s 3.3 million passengers.
Philippine Airlines and unit PAL Express flew 1.1 million passengers in the nine months, lower than last year’s 1.7 million passengers. AirAsia Philippines flew 410,774 passengers in January to September, significantly lower than last year’s 1.3 million passengers. AirAsia Philippines said it posted 167 percent growth in the number of passengers carried year-on- year and a 5 percent increase quarter-on-quarter with load factor at 77 percent, attributed to active capacity management.
It added it will double and triple its current weekly flight frequencies as well as resume regional flights during the fourth quarter.
“We will continue to be cautiously optimistic by making sure we always strike a balance between cash burn and market demand. Our goal has always been to double down on productivity to manage cash flow and operate on breakeven points to efficiently manage cash burn,” Ray Berja, AirAsia Philippines chief financial officer, said in a statement.
Meanwhile, three domestic airlines — Air Juan Aviation Inc., Magnum Air (Skyjet) and Royal Air Charter Service Inc. — suspended their operations this year. Small carriers AirSwift Transport Inc. and Island Aviation Corp. flew 8,538 and 3,913 passengers in the first nine months, respectively.
