Capital A Berhad, the major Malaysia-based multinational aviation company, plans to deploy 10 to 20 new aircraft to unit AirAsia Philippines over the next five years to support its expansion.
In a press briefing on July 9, Capital A Berhad Deputy Group CEO Capt. Chester Voo announced that the group will acquire 150 new aircraft as part of its long-term fleet expansion strategy in the next two to three weeks. Capital A Berhad is the parent company of AirAsia Philippines.
This upcoming acquisition is in addition to the 70 Airbus A321XLRs aircraft the company recently secured, to meet growing demand across its airline units, including AirAsia Philippines.
Voo said that out of the total aircraft orders, two to four aircraft per year will be allocated to AirAsia in the next five years.
“We’re looking to grow two to four aircraft. So over five years you’re looking at 20 aircraft growth,” Voo added.
Currently, AirAsia Philippines operates 15 aircraft and plans to increase its fleet to 21 in response to rising travel demand.
AirAsia remains optimistic about reaching its full-year target of 6 to 7 million passengers, driven by aggressive expansion in both domestic and international operations.
Earlier, in a press briefing on Monday, AirAsia CEO and President Capt. Suresh Bangah said the company flew 3 million passengers in the first half of the year, keeping itself on track to reach its passenger target of around 7 million.
“We are really aggressive. So, we are working very closely with our commercial group, pushing and increasing our presence,” he said.’
On the domestic market, the airline has a strong presence in Cagayan de Oro, Cebu and Caticlan, the gateway to Boracay.
While the airline anticipates a dip in Caticlan-bound traffic during the rainy season, it remains highly optimistic . “Many resorts are offering attractive discounts during this period, and we follow suit with seasonal flight promotions. That’s how we maintain healthy load factors,” Bangah added.
On the international front, routes to Japan, South Korea, and Taipei are also performing well, with consistently strong load factors throughout the first half of the year.
The airline also registered a strong load factor performance at 85 percent.
To boost traffic, the airline launched 11 double-digit promos, including a PISO sale in the first half this year, that supported travel on domestic and international routes, ensuring the destination’s inclusion in key seat sales and special offers.
