Capital A’s Chief Executive Officer, Tan Sri Tony Fernandes, recently revealed his positive outlook for AirAsia Philippines, emphasizing the country’s importance as a key destination for the airline’s expansion plans within the ASEAN region and beyond. Speaking during a Town Hall meeting with AirAsia Philippines’ employees, Fernandes outlined the company’s strategies to sustain growth and meet the rising demand for travel across the Asia-Pacific region.
One of the primary goals is to enhance AirAsia Philippines’ services through re-fleeting and strengthening of hubs. Recognizing the potential worldwide shortage of aircraft supplies, Fernandes assured that additional planes are already in the pipeline. “We have an ordered book of over 400 planes,” he shared, adding that the delivery of five A321s is scheduled for next year, with more to follow in the coming years. To supplement these orders, the company plans to acquire both leased and new aircraft to meet the increasing demand in the Philippines. Currently operating with 16 aircraft, AirAsia Philippines aims to double its fleet size by 2024 and introduce wide-body planes to expand its reach and capacity.
AirAsia Philippines has been experiencing positive growth, with an impressive load factor of 91% recorded in May. As the World’s Best Low-Cost Airline, the company serves 11 domestic and 13 international destinations, with plans to further expand its operations in Cebu, Clark, and Kalibo by adding more regional routes to Japan, Korea, and China.
To support its expanding business demand, AirAsia Philippines has been actively increasing its workforce. Within the first five months of the year, the company has already hired 318 new employees, with plans for further recruitment during a two-day cabin crew recruitment event. Fernandes expressed his enthusiasm, stating, “We are back. This is an amazing country and deserves for the world to know about it.”
Fernandes also highlighted the resilience of the aviation sector, which has seen a strong rebound and is poised for further growth. With leisure travel driving high ticket sales, people are prioritizing travel expenditures, fostering an increasingly robust demand for travel. AirAsia aims to capitalize on this trend by introducing more routes for the international market while maintaining its commitment to delivering world-class service at the lowest fares.
The parent company of AirAsia Philippines, Capital A, concluded Q1 2023 with a revenue of RM2.5 billion (approximately $546 million). Currently, AirAsia operates 157 aircraft, serving 165 destinations across 25 countries. In addition, their air logistics provider completed 5.7 million deliveries in Q1 2023, while the monthly active users of their Superapp increased to 12.9 million users.
With a positive outlook and strategic plans in place, AirAsia Philippines, under the leadership of CEO Tony Fernandes, is well-positioned for stability and exponential growth in the coming years.