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Founded | 16 December 2010 (as AirAsia Philippines) | ||||||
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Commenced operations |
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AOC # | 2009003 [1] | ||||||
Operating bases | |||||||
Frequent-flyer program | BIG Loyalty Programme [2] | ||||||
Fleet size | 15 | ||||||
Destinations | 29 | ||||||
Parent company | AA Com Travel Philippines Inc. [3] | ||||||
Headquarters | Pasay, Metro Manila, Philippines | ||||||
Key people | Ricardo P. Isla (President & CEO) [4] | ||||||
Website | www |
Philippines AirAsia, Inc. is a Philippine low-cost airline based at Ninoy Aquino International Airport in Pasay, Metro Manila. [5] The airline is the Philippine affiliate of the Malaysian AirAsia. The airline started as a joint venture among three Filipino investors and AirAsia Investments Ltd. (later AirAsia Aviation Limited), a subsidiary of AirAsia Berhad.
AirAsia Philippines was formally launched on 16 December 2010. [6] On 15 August 2011, AirAsia Philippines took delivery of its first brand-new Airbus A320 aircraft. [7] The airline planned to start operations by 2011 [6] but was delayed due to the long duration of processing the new requirements instituted in 2008. [8]
On 7 February 2012, the airline received its air operator's certificate (AOC). [8] The airline commenced operations on 28 March by launching flights from its base at Clark International Airport to Kalibo and Davao City. [9] It partnered with Victory Liner, one of the largest provincial bus companies operating in the Philippines, to provide free shuttle service for inbound and outbound passengers of Clark International Airport. [10] Within that year, in addition to its first two destinations, AirAsia Philippines launched flights to Puerto Princesa, Kuala Lumpur, Hong Kong, Singapore, and Taipei. [11]
On 11 March 2013, an agreement was made between AirAsia Philippines to swap shares with Philippine-based airline Zest Airways. [12] Zest Airways received a mix of $16 million cash and a 13% share in AirAsia Philippines, while AirAsia Philippines now owns 85% of Zest Airways, with 49% of its voting rights. The deal closed on 10 May 2013, and Zest Airways was rebranded AirAsia Zest. The agreement also gave AirAsia Philippines access to Ninoy Aquino International Airport, allowing further growth of its route network. [13] By October 2013, AirAsia Philippines closed its Clark base to reduce further losses, and moved its operations to NAIA, initially at Terminal 4. [14] It later moved its international flights to Terminal 3 by 2014. [15] After two years of operating under separate brands, the two airlines merged to a single AOC in September 2015, with the AirAsia Zest brand being retired in December. [16]
It continued its domestic and international expansion; in March 2017, the airline launched flights to Caticlan — the closest airport to Boracay, [17] and reopened its Clark base. [18] In October 2017, it began flying to Iloilo — a destination once served by AirAsia Zest, [19] and started flying to Ho Chi Minh City in November. [20] The following year, it opened a base in Cagayan de Oro. [21]
On 1 July 2019, Philippines AirAsia launched its first flights to Japan, starting with Osaka. [22] On 27 October, it started flying to Bacolod — another former AirAsia Zest destination — and was one of the highlights of that year's MassKara Festival. [23]
The COVID-19 pandemic has adversely affected Philippines AirAsia's business. Plans for Philippines AirAsia to debut in the Philippine Stock Exchange within 2020 was deferred in March, with the airline management deciding to focus on expanding its domestic operations after a government ban on China and South Korea in response to the worsening health situation threatened 30% of the airlines' revenue. [24] It also retrenched 624 employees due to the pandemic. [25] Flights to General Santos and Zamboanga City — which were originally set to launch in March — began in October. [26]
As travel restrictions eased in 2022, Philippines AirAsia started to rebuild its network by adding more flights, launching flights to Dumaguete and Roxas City, [27] and resuming most international flights starting 27 May 2022. [28] In February 2023, it launched daily flights to Tokyo, [29] and resumed flights to Guangzhou, Shenzhen, and Macau. [30] Amid a fleet shortage, [31] flights to General Santos ended in 2022, while flights to Dumaguete and Zamboanga ended in 2023.
On 1 July 2023, Philippines AirAsia transferred its domestic operations at Ninoy Aquino International Airport from the highly congested Terminal 4 to the larger Terminal 2. Although its international flights remained at Terminal 3, [32] it requested to the Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA) to transfer its international flights to Terminal 1 for operational efficiency. This was rejected by MIAA due to space limitations, given that flag carrier Philippine Airlines have predominantly occupied the terminal with no space for AirAsia to fit in. [31]
In 2024, Philippines AirAsia terminated all flights to China due to weak demand amid geopolitical tensions; [33] it opted instead to focus on destinations with high demand, like Japan. [34]
Philippines AirAsia is headquartered at the RedPoint office at Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 3 in Pasay, Metro Manila. RedPoint has been the airline's headquarters since October 2019; the airline was previously headquartered at the Salem Complex near NAIA Terminal 4. [35]
The airline is a joint venture between three Filipino businessmen and AirAsia. 60% of the airline is owned by Filipino investors Antonio O. Cojuangco, Jr., former owner of Associated Broadcasting Company and owner of Dream Satellite TV, Michael L. Romero, a real estate developer and port operator, and Marianne Hontiveros, a former music industry executive and TV host. [36] The remaining 40% is owned by AirAsia Investments Ltd. (later AirAsia Aviation Limited) of Malaysia. [6] The Public Service Act of the Philippines, prior to its amendment in 2022, only allowed a foreign direct investment of up to 40% in Philippine-registered airlines. [37]
In June 2019, Romero's F&S Holdings bought the shares owned by Alfredo Yao and Hontiveros, thus becoming the new majority shareholder in the company. Four months later, Romero acquired Cojuangco's shares, becoming the sole local owner (and parent company) of the airline. [3] In June 2023, F&S Holdings sold all of its shares to AA Com Travel Philippines for an undisclosed amount. [3]
As of January 2025 [update] , Philippines AirAsia flies (or has flown) to the following destinations:
As of January 2025 [update] , Philippines AirAsia operates the following aircraft: [46]
Aircraft | In service | Orders | Passengers | Notes |
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Airbus A320-200 | 15 | — | 180 | 7 aircraft stored. [46] |
Total | 15 | – |
Transportation in the Philippines covers the transportation methods within the archipelagic nation of over 7,600 islands. From a previously underdeveloped state of transportation, the government of the Philippines has been improving transportation through various direct infrastructure projects, and these include an increase in air, sea, road, and rail transportation and transport hubs.
Philippine Airlines (PAL) is the flag carrier of the Philippines. Headquartered at the PNB Financial Center in Pasay City, the airline was founded in 1941 and is the oldest operating commercial airline in Asia.
Ninoy Aquino International Airport, also known as Manila International Airport (MIA), is the main international airport serving Metro Manila in the Philippines. Located between the cities of Pasay and Parañaque, about 7 kilometers (4.3 mi) south of Manila proper and southwest of Makati, it is the main gateway for travelers to the Philippines and serves as a hub for PAL Express and Philippine Airlines. It is also the main operating base for AirSWIFT, Cebgo, Cebu Pacific, and Philippines AirAsia.
Cebu Air, Inc., operating as Cebu Pacific, is a Philippine low-cost airline based at Pasay in Metro Manila. Founded in 1988, the airline was the first low-cost carrier in Asia and is also the largest airline in the Philippines. It offers scheduled flights to both domestic and international destinations. The airline operates flights from five bases in Cebu, Clark, Davao, Iloilo, and its largest base in Manila.
Zest Airways, Inc., operated as AirAsia Zest, was a Filipino low-cost airline based at Ninoy Aquino International Airport in Pasay, Metro Manila in the Philippines. It operated scheduled domestic and international tourist services, mainly feeder services linking Manila and Cebu with 24 domestic destinations in support of the trunk route operations of other airlines.
Cebgo, Inc., operating as Cebgo or Cebu Pacific Cargo , is the regional brand cargo airline of Cebu Pacific. It is the successor company to SEAIR, Inc., which previously operated as South East Asian Airlines and Tigerair Philippines. It is now owned by JG Summit, the parent company of Cebu Pacific which operates the airline. The airline's main base has been transferred from Clark International Airport in Angeles City to Ninoy Aquino International Airport in Metro Manila. On April 30, 2017, Cebgo planned to move out from Manila and transfer its main base to Mactan–Cebu International Airport in Cebu City because NAIA has already maxed out its capacity. Currently, it operates an all-ATR fleet, with a total of 16 in service.
Clark International Airport —known as Diosdado Macapagal International Airport from 2003 to 2014—is an international airport covering portions of the cities of Angeles and Mabalacat within the Clark Freeport and Special Economic Zone in the province of Pampanga, Philippines. It is located 80 kilometers (50 mi) northwest of Manila. It is accessible by way of the Subic–Clark–Tarlac Expressway (SCTEX).
Zamboanga International Airport is the main airport serving Zamboanga City in the Philippines. Located on a 270-hectare (670-acre) site in Barangay Canelar, Zamboanga City, the airport is Mindanao's third-busiest airport after Francisco Bangoy International Airport in Davao City and Laguindingan Airport in Laguindingan, Misamis Oriental.
Godofredo P. Ramos Airport, also known as Caticlan Airport and recently, Boracay Airport by its developer Trans Aire, is an international airport serving the general area of the municipality of Malay, located in the province of Aklan in the Philippines. It is one of the two gateways to Boracay, the other being Kalibo International Airport in Kalibo.
General Santos International Airport, also known as Tambler Airport and General Santos City Airport, is an alternate international airport located in the city of General Santos, Philippines serving the greater area of Soccsksargen. Situated in Fatima, General Santos, it is a large airport on the island of Mindanao and is officially classified as an international airport by the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP), a government bureau which is responsible for the management and operations of General Santos International Airport and all other airports in the country except regular international airports.
Puerto Princesa International Airport is an airport serving the general area of Puerto Princesa, located in the province of Palawan in the Philippines. It is classified as an international airport by the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines.
Air Philippines Corporation, operating as PAL Express and formerly branded as Air Philippines and Airphil Express, is a wholly-owned subsidiary airline of Philippine Airlines. It is PAL's regional brand, with services from its hubs in Manila, Clark, Cebu, and Davao.
The Ninoy Aquino International Airport Expressway (NAIAX), signed as E6 of the Philippine expressway network, is a 12.65-kilometer (7.86 mi) elevated highway in Metro Manila, Philippines. Opened in September 2016, it is the first airport expressway in the country. The expressway links the Skyway to Ninoy Aquino International Airport and Entertainment City. Traversing the cities of Pasay and Parañaque, the NAIAX runs along Andrews Avenue, Electrical Road, and NAIA Road, connecting the Skyway to Ninoy Aquino Avenue, Macapagal Boulevard, New Seaside Drive and the Manila–Cavite Expressway.
Mactan–Cebu International Airport (MCIA) is the main international airport serving Metro Cebu and serves as the main gateway to the Central Visayas region in the Philippines. Located on a 797-hectare (1,970-acre) site in Lapu-Lapu City on Mactan, it is the second busiest airport in the Philippines. Opened on April 27, 1966, the airport serves as a hub for Philippine Airlines, and as an operating base for Cebu Pacific, Philippines AirAsia, and Sunlight Air.
Sangley Point Airport, also referred to as Cavite Airport, is a domestic airport at Sangley Point, Cavite City in the Philippines primarily serving general aviation and turbo-propped airliners in the general vicinity of South Luzon and the Greater Manila Area.
Philippine Airlines (PAL) is the flag carrier of the Philippines, operating from its base at Ninoy Aquino International Airport. PAL is the oldest airline in Asia operating under its original name, having been founded in 1941.
Royal Air Charter Service, Inc., operating as Royal Air Philippines, is a Philippine-registered low-cost airline. The company was established on August 22, 2002, as a chartered airline. It began operations as a budget airline on December 14, 2018, with an inaugural flight from its hub in Clark, Pampanga to Caticlan in Aklan.
XiamenAir Flight 8667 was a scheduled international passenger flight from Xiamen Gaoqi International Airport in Xiamen, China, to Ninoy Aquino International Airport in Manila, Philippines. On 16 August 2018, the Boeing 737-85C (WL) operating this flight skidded off the runway while attempting to land in poor weather conditions. After leaving the runway, the aircraft hit obstacles that tore off the left engine and the left main gear. The crash occurred at 11:55 p.m. Philippine Standard Time (UTC+8), and resulted in the destruction of the aircraft. No serious injuries were reported among the crew or passengers. The damaged aircraft took 36 hours to remove from the runway, leading to a major disruption at the airport, which is the primary international gateway to the Philippines. The closure caused the cancellation of more than 200 domestic and international flights, affected more than 250,000 travelers, and prompted calls for enlargement of the airport or the construction of alternative airports to serve the country in the event of future disruptions.
On January 1, 2023, at 9:49 a.m. Philippine Standard Time, the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) detected issues with its Air Traffic Management Center (ATMC) at Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) in Pasay, Metro Manila. Electrical problems brought the center's radios and radars offline. Shortly after, nearly all flights towards major airports in the Philippine airspace were put on hold or diverted. Flights that were about to enter the Philippine airspace were either diverted to neighboring countries, returned to point of origin, or rerouted to neighboring airspaces. By noon, no commercial aircraft were inside the Philippine airspace. Around 282 flights to and from various Philippine airports and over 56,000 passengers, many of whom were travelling to or from the country following the New Year's Day holiday, were affected.