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31/01/2025
πΈ-AirAsia suspends Manila-Davao flights
MANILA, Philippines β Low-cost carrier AirAsia Philippines has suspended daily flights between Manila and Davao to focus on the demand for flights to tourist hotbeds Boracay and Palawan.
AirAsia Philippines spokesman Steve Dailisan told The STAR that the airline is scaling up flight frequency to its high-traffic routes Caticlan, Puerto Princesa, Tagbilaran and Tacloban this year.
In the process, Dailisan said AirAsia had to suspend its Manila to Davao flights to get an aircraft available to support the redeployment.
Dailisan clarified that the Davao flights were performing well prior to suspension, turning in load factors of as much as 95 percent, or almost fully booked. However, AirAsia is finding it difficult to compete with the average fares offered right now for the same route.
β(It is not because of) low demand, but more of competitive pricing. The aircraft will be utilized to add frequency also to leisure destinations Caticlan, Puerto Princesa, Tagbilaran and Tacloban, where AirAsia is top performing,β Dailisan said.
Apart from this, airlines burn more fuel to connect Manila with Davao than with Caticlan, where Boracay is, and Puerto Princesa.
Usual flight time from Manila to Davao takes almost two hours, while Caticlan is just 45 minutes away and Puerto Princesa is only an hour and 15 minutes.
In spite of this, AirAsia remains confident that it is on track to grow in the Philippines, especially as the countryβs travel market is showing no signs of slowing down.
For 2025, AirAsia expects to fly 7.5 million passengers in the Philippines, borrowing optimism from the sustained expansion of air travel in the pandemic aftermath. Currently, AirAsia operates 16 Airbus A320s in the country that it deploys to domestic and international destinations.
Further, the AirAsia Group is expected to wrap up its system-wide reorganization this year, with Capital A Berhad moving to transfer the aviation business to AirAsia X. The restructuring, once concluded, will clear the path for AirAsia subsidiaries to expand their fleet and flights.
Recently, Finance Secretary Ralph Recto met with AirAsia CEO Tony Fernandes to discuss the airlineβs plan to put up a maintenance, repair and overhaul facility in the Philippines.
Fernandes is also looking forward to further expanding AirAsiaβs presence in the country, as he is uplifted by public-private efforts to enhance airport infrastructure in Manila and beyond.
