The country’s air cargo traffic volume has seen a recovery last year but air passenger traffic is still significantly affected with the expanded travel restrictions, based on latest data from the Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB).
CAB data showed air cargo traffic grew 46 percent to 538.5 million kilograms (kg) last year from 368.5 million kg cargo carried the previous year, driven by an 11-percent and 70- percent increase in domestic and international air freight traffic, respectively.
Still, air freight volume last year was 23 percent lower than the pre-pandemic cargo traffic of 702.1 million kg in 2019.
However, CAB data showed last year’s international cargo traffic, which is operated by 38 carriers including three local airlines, reached 372.9 million kg, surpassing the air cargo traffic in 2019 of 370.6 million kg.
Two local airlines, Astro Air International and Royal Air Charter Service Inc., have suspended their domestic air passenger operations last year and focused on international chartered flights as well as domestic and international cargo service due to travel restrictions.
Meanwhile, the country’s air passenger traffic dropped 41 percent to 7.72 million last year from 13.1 million in 2020 given the travel restrictions implemented throughout the year for both domestic and international travel.
Last year’s passenger volume is still significantly lower compared to 60.16 million passengers carried during pre-pandemic in 2019.
Domestic passenger volume fell by 20 percent to 5.53 million last year versus 6.89 million passengers carried in the previous year.
Cebu Pacific Inc. and its unit CebGo still lead in domestic air travel with 2.94 million passengers carried last year, followed by flag carrier Philippine Airlines and its unit PAL Express with 1.85 million, and Philippine AirAsia Inc. with 713,409.
International air traffic declined by 65 percent to 2.19 million from 6.25 million in the previous year, attributed to border restrictions in place. Of the total passenger traffic, domestic carriers accounted for 925,007 and foreign airlines carried 1.27 million.
The airline industry is optimistic to start recovery this year with the easing restrictions for both local and international travel.
International Air Transport Association’s (IATA) recent data showed growing momentum in the recovery of air travel as restrictions are lifted.
IATA reported a sharp 11-percentage-point increase for international tickets sold between January and February — the fastest such increase for any two-week period since the crisis began.
The jump in ticket sales comes as more governments announce a relaxation of border restrictions. An IATA survey of travel restrictions for the world’s top 50 air travel markets, comprising 92 percent of global demand in 2019 as measured by revenue passenger kilometers, revealed the growing access available to vaccinated travelers.
These numbers reflect a spate of relaxations announced around the world, including in Australia, France, Philippines, United Kingdom, Switzerland and Sweden.
