THE Department of Transportation (DOTr) on Monday ordered the shutdown of Malaysia-based online travel agency AirAsia MOVE’s website for selling airline tickets of local carriers at rates exceeding the fare limits set by the aviation regulator.
In a press conference on Monday, DOTr Secretary Vince Dizon said the government is preparing to file a criminal economic sabotage case against AirAsia MOVE.
AirAsia MOVE is the digital travel platform operated by MOVE Digital, the digital arm of Capital A Berhad, which is also the parent company of low-cost carrier AirAsia Philippines.
Dizon said he had directed the Philippine National Police Cybercrime Division to take down the website due to alleged unscrupulous practices.
The platform was reportedly selling overpriced airline tickets, allegedly taking advantage of the ongoing transport crisis in Samar and Leyte caused by the partial closure of the San Juanico Bridge to trucks and buses
He gave as an example the experience of House lawmaker Richard Gomez and his wife, Lucy Torres, who purchased one-way tickets from Tacloban to Manila from AirAsia MOVE for P77,704 for two passengers.
“This is actually criminal,” Dizon added, noting that the price of AirAsia MOVE was more than three times higher than Philippine Airlines tickets at that time.
Dizon clarified that AirAsia Philippines, the airline, has nothing to do with the overpriced tickets of its affiliate.
The Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB), in a letter to AirAsia MOVE on May 26, 2025 said “you are hereby ordered to cease and desist from offering, promoting or selling tickets of other Philippine carriers at prices that exceed the approved fare structures established by the CAB.”
“This office has determined that AirAsia Move has engaged in the unauthorized sale of airline tickets for carriers in the Philippines at prices exceeding the approved fare structures established by the CAB. Such actions violate the fare regulations and policies set forth by the CAB,” the letter added.
AirAsia MOVE, in a statement on Monday, affirmed its cooperation with the Philippine government to uphold fair pricing and consumer protection.
The company clarified it does not manually set airfares, and relies on pricing data from authorized third-party providers, including aggregators and Global Distribution Systems (GDS). The recent fare discrepancies on certain routes, including Philippine Airlines domestic flights, were due to temporary data synchronization issues with a third-party provider affecting multiple platforms, not just MOVE, it added.
It said it acted swiftly to address the issue with the provider, implemented additional safeguards to prevent future occurrences and is actively engaging with authorities to clarify the situation.
In related development, the Office of Civil Defense (OCD) has formally appealed to the DOTr, CAB, and Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) to investigate reports of alleged increases in passenger and cargo air fares in Eastern Visayas, particularly affecting routes to Tacloban, Catarman, and Ormoc City.
In a letter addressed to DOTr Secretary Dizon, Undersecretary Ariel Nepomuceno, the OCD administrator, expressed concern that recent restrictions on the San Juanico Bridge may have contributed to these fare hikes.
He emphasized the urgency of immediate intervention, including possible additional flights, to ensure the continued movement of passengers and goods, prevent further frustration among residents, and stabilize the region’s economic and market conditions.
