The country’s air passenger traffic is enjoying steady and healthy growth with six-month growth numbers more than quadrupling to 13.17 million from only 2.95 million as travel curbs eased.
Of the 13.17 million, domestic passenger volume stood at 9.69 million from January to June, higher by two million in the same period in 2021.
Gokongwei-led Cebu Pacific remained the country’s leading domestic carrier with 5.15 million passengers followed by PAL Express (1.58 million) and Philippine AirAsia (1.38 million).
Ultra bilyonaryo Lucio Tan’s Philippine Airlines transported 925,755 domestic passengers, while Cebgo flew 557,262 domestic passengers.
AirJuan Aviation Inc., Astro Air International Inc., Royal Air Charter Service Inc. and Magnum Air (Skyjet) Inc. ceased operations in the Philippines during the pandemic.
International passenger traffic, meanwhile, accounted for 3.48 million, more than triple the 957,573 recorded in the same period last year. For the full year of 2021, international passengers reached only 2.19 million.
Of the total, 1.21 million passengers were transported by the domestic carriers and 2.27 million passengers by foreign carriers.
Philippine Airlines remained the most favored carrier by international passengers, accounting for 1.11 million in the first half of the year, followed by Cebu Pacific with 84,700, Philippines AirAsia with 10,340 and Astro Air International with 119.
