MORE FLIGHTS OUT OF CEBU
Crowded Manila airport makes AirAsia set its sights on expanding operations to the Mactan-Cebu International Airport. Philippines AirAsia CEO Dexter Comendador notes tourism and business potential of Visayas and Mindanao.
Low-cost carrier AirAsia Inc. has committed to add more domestic flights to various Philippine destinations moving forward, said a company official.
The announcement came on Monday as AirAsia launched its three new domestic flights from Cebu to Davao, Palawan, and Boracay via Caticlan.
“With our newest routes, AirAsia would like to provide the much-needed connections and tap into the underserved markets, grow it, as there are definitely great tourism and business potentials in the Visayas and Mindanao,” said AirAsia captain and chief executive officer (CEO) Dexter Comendador.
One possible route the company is eyeing is Cebu-Cagayan de Oro.
Starting April 22, AirAsia will fly from Cebu to Boracay and Palawan daily while flights to Davao are scheduled twice daily.
AirAsia used to offer the Cebu-Davao flight in previous years but this was stopped due to “finacial difficulties” of maintaining the flight. At that time, Comendador said the focus was in Manila.
Now that it has resumed, the official expressed confidence in the Cebu-Davao flight, among its other domestic connections.
“We will continue to expand. We cannot rely on Manila anymore to park our planes. It’s too crowded. We are here to expand outside Manila,” he added.
AirAsia is also slated to double its fleet, now 14, in the next five years.
Meanwhile, to support an increase in connectivity to and from Cebu, Department of Tourism ( DOT) 7 Director Catalino Chan III said there will be a familiarization tour to Puerto Princesa, a joint project of AirAsia and DOT 7, where it will bring tour operators to the island.
GMR-Megawide airline marketing head Aines Librodo said the company, which is operating the Mactan Cebu International Airport (MCIA), is not only promoting Cebu as the final destination, but as an alternative gateway to central and southern Philippines.
At present, Cebu is connected to 27 domestic destinations and 14 international destinations, said Librodo.
Philippines AirAsia is a joint venture company between Filipino investors Antonio Cojuanco, former ambassador Alfredo Yao, Michael Romero, Marianne Hontiveros and Malaysia’s AirAsia Berhad. It operates domestic and international flights out of Manila, Cebu and Kalibo.