The country’s air passenger traffic volume in domestic and international flights grew more than fourfold to 13.2 million passengers in the first half of 2022 from 2.95 million in the same period last year, data from Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB) showed yesterday.
This is, however, less than half the number of passengers carried pre-pandemic, compared to pre-pandemic passenger which stood at 30.5 million in the first half of 2019.
CAB data showed the significant growth in air passenger in the first half was driven by 385 percent growth in domestic passengers to 9.69 million from 2 million passenger who flew in the same period last year.
The country’s leading low cost carrier, Cebu Pacific and its unit CebGo flew the most number of passengers at 5.7 million passengers.
Flag carrier Philippine Airlines (PAL) and its unit PAL Express carried 2.5 million passengers while AirAsia Philippines flew 1.39 million passengers during the period.
Other airlines AirSwift Transport Inc. and Island Aviation Corp. flew 81,439 and 4,323 passengers, respectively, in the first half this year.
With the continued easing of travel restrictions in the domestic market, the CAB said air passengers in the second quarter this year grew 97 percent to 6.43 million from 3.26 million in the first quarter this year.
Air passengers for international flights also grew 264 percent to 3.49 million in the first semester from 957,573 million in the same period last year.
Of the total passengers that flew during the period, 1.21 million were carried by domestic airline operators and 2.28 million by foreign carriers.
PAL flew the most number of passengers at 1.12 million, while CEB carried 84,700; AirAsia Philippines, 10,340; and Astro Air International, 119 passengers in the first semester, according to the CAB.
The International Air Transport Association said Asia-Pacific airlines had a 492 percent rise in June traffic compared to June 2021 as the region is now relatively open to foreign visitors and tourism which is helping foster the recovery. Myla Iglesias
