In an exclusive interview with AviationUpdatesPH.com, Avion Express Philippines CEO Rene Bazon revealed that the subsidiary of world’s largest ACMI provider Avia Solutions Group (ASG) has officially launched its operations in the Philippines, introducing a new business model focused on providing flexible aircraft capacity solutions to local carriers.
The new subsidiary aims to commence operations by August 2025, following the completion of licensing requirements and permits by July. It expects to receive its second aircraft in October—a third one is set to follow soon.
“The initial plan is to have three aircraft every year until we reach 15 in five years,” Bazon explained. “Of course, this will depend on the availability of aircraft as well as the demand for the service so there is a possibility to bring in more.”
Market timing
This strategic expansion comes at a crucial time for Philippine aviation. According to the company executive, the government aims to double 2024’s tourism numbers in the next four years.
“Based on our rough estimates, that would require local airlines to increase capacity by around 28 narrowbody aircraft from now until then to fulfill the passenger demand,” Bazon said.
Avion Express Philippines is not here to compete but to complement the Philippine airline industry by providing flexible, on-demand capacity exactly when and where it is needed.
Rene Bazon, Avion Express Philippines CEO
The company will offer ACMI (Aircraft, Crew, Maintenance, and Insurance) solutions, which provides airlines with immediate access to aircraft and necessary resources without requiring long-term commitments.
Growing trend in ACMI solutions
The launch comes as Philippine carriers are increasingly turning to ACMI solutions to address capacity needs. Earlier last year, Cebu Pacific demonstrated the value of such arrangements when it damp-leased two Airbus A320ceo aircraft from Bulgaria Air. These planes, which began operations in January 2024, helped the carrier expand seat capacity on key domestic routes between Manila, Cebu, and Davao.
Similarly, Philippine Airlines also secured a five-month wet-lease agreement with Wamos Air for two Airbus A330-200s to maintain its Australia routes starting June 2024. The 288-seat jets temporarily served PAL due to the increased maintenance requirements of the flag carrier’s long-haul fleet.
Employment for Filipinos
Avion Express Philippines expects to generate approximately 50 new jobs in the coming months, including positions for pilots, cabin crew, engineering staff, and various support roles.
“We will be rostering flight deck (pilots) as well as cabin crew, maintaining their training proficiency for the A320 through recurrent trainings,” Bazon detailed. “We are also adding Engineering and other technical jobs for Maintenance and Flight Technical functions, on top of supporting jobs such as in HR, Finance, IT and Marketing.”
All crew members will be locally based, ensuring services are tailored to the local market while maintaining global standards.
Strategic advantage
Backed by ASG’s extensive network of 221 aircraft across 12 AOCs spanning six continents, Avion Express Philippines is positioned to leverage counter-seasonal demand between Europe and Asia.
“We benefit from the possibility of sharing aircraft as the low season in Europe coincides with the high season here in the Philippines,” Bazon said.
The company also said that they are open to charter flights, even though ACMI is their main product. “Charters will be part of our business activity where and when needed. And these charters could serve both Domestic and Regional,” Bazon explained.
The CEO also highlighted the encouraging response from local carriers following their February 20 launch at Shangri-la The Fort, which was attended by airline executives and government representatives.
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