PHILIPPINES STAR/WALTER BOLLOZOS

PHILIPPINE AIRASIA, INC. (AirAsia Philippines) is optimistic about reaching its target of more than seven million passengers by the end of the year, after carrying more than three million passengers in the first half.

From January to June, the low-cost carrier recorded over three million passengers, AirAsia Philippines said on Monday.

“Before the end of the year, the target is around seven million,” President and General Manager Suresh Bangah told reporters. The airline carried a total of seven million passengers in 2024.

The airline is maintaining its target passenger volume and has outlined strategies to achieve it.

“We will keep the target the same; we won’t adjust the target because you cannot have a moving goalpost. On certain days, the load factor goes down, bookings go down, then they go up,” he said, citing that the company offers seat sales when seat take-up is low.

AirAsia Philippines said its strongest domestic routes are to Cagayan, Cebu, and Caticlan, while for international routes, it sees the highest volumes in Japan, Korea, and Taipei.

In May, AirAsia said it had logged around 3.5 million advance bookings, adding that spikes in bookings usually happen in the latter half of the year or during the holidays.

AirAsia Philippines had earlier been working to grow its operational fleet to 19 aircraft in response to rising demand and the need for increased capacity.

Meanwhile, the airline is also adding an aircraft, as it is set to deploy its spare aircraft by September, Mr. Bangah said. Currently, AirAsia Philippines operates a total of 15 aircraft.

“We may need another aircraft, but that is still subject to slot availability. It may come in by September, and we will use it as a spare during the peak period,” he said, adding that AirAsia Philippines is also working on expanding its hub and flying out of Manila.

The airline is planning to increase its presence outside Manila and is assessing which routes are most viable for expansion.

“We will have to expand. [Our plan] is to establish bases outside Manila. We are conducting a route study and assessing its impact. We should have the results this month for our plan for other bases,” he said. — Ashley Erika O. Jose