Domestic air passenger traffic in the domestic market has more than doubled in the first quarter of the year versus the same period last year as local carriers have fully recovered from the pandemic with the easing of travel restrictions.
According to the latest Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB) data, air passengers reached 7.06 million from January to March, up 113 percent from 3.3 million passengers logged a year ago.
The significant growth is attributed to the easing of travel restrictions, coupled with the airlines’ aggressive flight expansions.
Cebu Air Inc., operator of budget carriers Cebu Pacific and Cebgo, remains the leading airline in the domestic market having flown 3.66 million passengers in the first quarter, 92.6 percent higher than last year’s same period with 1.99 million.
Philippine Airlines (PAL) and its unit PAL Express grew their passenger volume by 120 percent to 1.97 million in the first quarter from 895,539 in the same period last year.
AirAsia Philippines flew 1.29 million passengers in the first quarter, up 171 percent from 474,064 in the same period last year.
AirSwift Transport Inc. had 104,975 passengers; Island Aviation Corp., 2,525 passengers; Royal Air Charter Service Inc., 31,269; and Sunlight Express Airways, 7,231 passengers in the first quarter.
International passengers in the first quarter numbered 3.8 million, of which 1.84 million were from domestic carriers and 1.97 million from foreign airlines.
Among local carriers, PAL leads, having flown 1.34 million passengers as of the end of March, while Cebu Pacific had 230,895 passengers and AirAsia Philippines, 225,032 passengers, according to CAB data.
Carmelo Arcilla, CAB executive director, earlier said the air passenger volume in the domestic market has recovered in January, while international travel is expected to catch up by January 2024.
CAB expects 2023 to be a banner year for air travel.
Airfares are seen to further decline in June due to a lower fuel surcharge at level 4 from level 5 this month as jet fuel prices in the world market continue to decline. This is the lowest level in 15 months.
At level 4, the fuel surcharge ranges from P117 to P342 for domestic flights and from P385.70 to P600 for international flights, depending on the distance.
The fuel surcharge next month will be significantly lower than June last year which was at level 7.
