AirAsia Philippines has begun to gradually increase its domestic flights slated for February in preparation for a possible influx of travelers.
The airline said it has increased flights to Davao, Iloilo, Cagayan de Oro, Bacolod, Puerto Princesa, Panglao and Kalibo this month.
Despite the surge of coronavirus disease- 2019 (COVID-19) cases in January, data from AirAsia Philippines showed that domestic travel was not affected as the airline recouped 42 percent of its pre-COVID flight frequency last month.
AirAsia also reported a huge climb in capacity in January 2022 versus 2021 after recording an increase of 182 percent. Seats sold last month likewise increased by 200 percent as compared to the same month last year.
The airline also said load factor increased by 10 percent. Caticlan, Cebu and Tacloban still dominated the top destinations for both leisure and essential travels.
“We will continue to service our guests this 2022 with safe and timely flights. We, in the travel industry, also have our sights set on cautiously restoring our pre-pandemic flight frequency this year as we are positive the pandemic will take a turn for the better before end-2022. This is on top of ensuring that in spite of challenges posed by emerging variants and new protocols, our operations are at an optimum — allowing us to avoid flight disruptions,” said Steve Dailisan, AirAsia Philippines spokesperson.
To date, AirAsia Philippines said it is running on an on-time performance of 80 percent. This means most, if not all, AirAsia Philippines flights are able to meet the scheduled departure and arrival in all of its destinations except for situations and incidents beyond the control of the airline. – Myla Iglesias
