AIR passenger traffic in the Philippines rose 11 percent in the first quarter of 2025, driven by a surge in domestic travel and improving international connectivity.
The latest data released by the Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB) on Tuesday showed air passenger traffic reached 15.97 million from January to March 2025, up from 14.4 million passengers in the first three months of last year.
The increase coincides with a statement also on Tuesday from the International Air Transport Association (IATA) that the Asia-Pacific region, which includes the Philippines, is estimated to register the fastest-growing passenger demand in the next 20 years.
In 2024, the region accounted for a third of global passenger traffic, measured in revenue passenger kilometers (RPK), and is projected to contribute over half of global passenger traffic in the next two decades, IATA said.
In the Philippines, CAB data showed increased air passenger traffic was largely driven by a 14 percent surge in domestic air travel, which rose to 8.5 million passengers in the first quarter of 2025 from 7.44 million in the corresponding year-earlier period.
International passenger traffic also grew, rising 7 percent to 7.47 million from 6.97 million in the same period last year.
Local airlines recorded double-digit growth in passenger volume during the period, driven by aggressive route expansions across both domestic and international flights, along with enticing promotional offers.
Low-cost carrier Cebu Pacific and unit CEBGo led the local market, flying 6.36 million passengers, a 22 percent jump from 5.2 million during the same period in 2024, said CAB data.
Flag carrier Philippine Airlines (PAL) and subsidiary PAL Express also posted solid growth, flying 4.04 million passengers in the first quarter this year, up 10.4 percent from 3.66 million in the same period last year.
For domestic operations, AirAsia Philippines saw a slight dip in passenger traffic, carrying 1.18 million travelers in the first quarter of this year, down from 1.24 million during the same period in 2024.
Among other domestic carriers, AirSwift Transport Inc. flew 142,381 passengers, while Island Aviation Corp. recorded 3,582 passengers. Royal Air Charter Service Inc. transported 14,586 passengers, and Sunlight Express Airways carried 51,077 passengers in the first quarter of 2025.
Local airlines have also expressed optimism about sustained growth in the second quarter this year.
Cebu Pacific said in a press statement on May 27 that it carried 2.3 million passengers in April 2025, an 18 percent increase compared to the same period last year. Seat load factor (SLF) reached 84 percent on the back of seat growth of 20 percent.
“Passenger traffic performance remains strong with continued growth in passenger volumes and high seat load factors. International passenger numbers have increased by over 32 percent year over year, outpacing capacity expansion,” Mark Cezar, CEB’s chief financial officer, said in a statement. “These positive trends reinforce our favorable outlook for the second quarter.”
Meanwhile, AirAsia Philippines recorded nearly 3 million forward bookings across its domestic and international routes for the first half of the year.
