The Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB) reports a healthy increase in air traffic for 2013, with the total number of passengers reaching 37.67 million, representing a 0.9% rise from the previous year’s 37.31 million. This growth marks a welcome rebound from the double-digit growth of 11.7% seen in 2012, indicating a stabilizing air travel market.
Cebu Pacific remained the dominant player, flying 10.24 million passengers, followed by PAL Express at 4.35 million, Philippine Airlines (PAL) at 2.58 million, AirAsia Zest at 1.99 million, and Tiger Airways Philippines at 969,753. However, PAL and its wholly-owned subsidiary PAL Express experienced passenger declines due to different factors.
PAL Express, impacted by operational streamlining after San Miguel Corp.’s acquisition, saw a 11.7% drop to 11.2 million passengers. Meanwhile, PAL faced a 16.4% decrease to 6.73 million due to its joint ownership structure and external challenges.
Despite these individual declines, the overall domestic passenger volume remained relatively stable, reaching 20.33 million, a mere 1.1% decrease from 2012. This resilience can be attributed to the growing popularity of budget airlines and the gradual recovery from temporary disruptions like inclement weather and the closure of Davao International Airport.
Looking ahead, the CAB anticipates continued growth in the aviation industry, fueled by expanding tourism, increased economic activity, and the introduction of new routes and airlines. However, challenges such as airport infrastructure limitations and volatile fuel prices remain on the horizon.
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