Philippines AirAsia

Philippines AirAsia
IATA ICAO Callsign
Z2 APG COOL RED
Founded16 December 2010; 13 years ago (2010-12-16)
Commenced operations28 March 2012; 12 years ago (2012-03-28)
AOC #2009003[1]
Operating bases
Frequent-flyer programBIG Loyalty Programme[2]
Fleet size15[3]
Destinations29
Parent companyAA Com Travel Philippines Inc.[4]
HeadquartersPasay, Metro Manila, Philippines
Key peopleRicardo P. Isla (President & CEO)[5]
Websitewww.airasia.com

Philippines AirAsia, Inc. is a Philippine low-cost airline based at Ninoy Aquino International Airport in Pasay, Metro Manila.[6] The airline is the Philippine affiliate of the Malaysian AirAsia. The airline started as a joint venture among three Filipino investors and AirAsia Investments Ltd. (later AirAsia Aviation Limited), a subsidiary of AirAsia Berhad.

History

An Airbus A320-200 operated by Philippines AirAsia in Puregold livery, on final approach at Taoyuan International Airport.

AirAsia Philippines was formally launched on 16 December 2010.[7] On 15 August 2011, AirAsia Philippines took delivery of its first brand-new Airbus A320 aircraft.[8] The airline planned to start operations by 2011[7] but was delayed due to the long duration of processing the new requirements instituted in 2008.[9]

On 7 February 2012, the airline received its air operator certificate.[9] The airline commenced operations on 28 March 2012 by launching flights from its base at Clark International Airport to Kalibo and Davao City.[10] It partnered with Victory Liner, one of the largest provincial bus companies operating in the Philippines, to provide free shuttle service for inbound and outbound passengers of Clark International Airport.[11] Within that year, in addition to its first two destinations, AirAsia Philippines launched flights to Puerto Princesa, Kuala Lumpur, Hong Kong, Singapore, and Taipei.[12]

On 11 March 2013, an agreement was made between AirAsia Philippines to swap shares with Philippine-based airline Zest Airways.[13] Zest Airways received a mix of $16 million cash and a 13% share in AirAsia Philippines, while AirAsia Philippines now owns 85% of Zest Airways, with 49% of its voting rights. The deal closed on 10 May 2013. The agreement also gave AirAsia Philippines access to Ninoy Aquino International Airport, allowing further growth of its route network.[14] By October 2013, AirAsia Philippines closed its base at Clark and moved their operations to the main gateway airport at Manila.[15]

In 2015, AirAsia Zest merged with AirAsia Philippines. Following the merger, the newly consolidated airline was renamed as Philippines AirAsia.[16] It operated under the former AirAsia Zest air operator's certificate, resulting in the airline's IATA code change from PQ to Z2, while the ICAO code remained unchanged. In 2017, the airline continued to expand its route network by adding more destinations, reopening their operating base at Clark in March 2017,[17] and the launch of more secondary bases in the Philippines.[18]

The COVID-19 pandemic has adversely affected Philippines AirAsia's business. Plans for Philippines AirAsia to debut in the Philippine Stock Exchange within 2020 was deferred in March 2020, with the airline management deciding to focus on expanding its domestic operations after a government ban on China and South Korea in response to the worsening health situation threatened 30% of the airlines' revenue.[19]

As travel restrictions ease in 2022, Philippines AirAsia started to rebuild its network by adding more flights, launching flights to Dumaguete and Roxas City,[20] and resuming most international flights starting 27 May 2022.[21] On 1 February 2023, it launched daily flights to Tokyo.[22] As China, being an important market for tourism in the Philippines, lifted travel restrictions, Philippines AirAsia resumed flights to Guangzhou, Shenzhen, and Macau from February to March 2023.[23] Effective June 2023, all domestic flights of Philippines AirAsia from Terminal 3 and 4 will be transferred to Terminal 2 and all international flights will remain at the Terminal 3 of Ninoy Aquino International Airport in Manila as part of the Schedule and Terminal Assignment Rationalization (STAR) Program of the Manila International Airport Authority.

Corporate affairs

The airline is headquartered at the RedPoint office at Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 3 in Pasay, Metro Manila. RedPoint has been the airline's headquarters since October 2019; the airline was previously headquartered at the Salem Complex near NAIA Terminal 4.[24]

The airline is a joint venture between three Filipino businessmen and AirAsia. 60% of the airline is owned by Filipino investors Antonio O. Cojuangco, Jr., former owner of Associated Broadcasting Company and owner of Dream Satellite TV, Michael L. Romero, a real estate developer and port operator, and Marianne Hontiveros, a former music industry executive and TV host.[25] The remaining 40% is owned by AirAsia Investments Ltd. (later AirAsia Aviation Limited) of Malaysia.[7] The Public Service Act of the Philippines, prior to its amendment in 2022, only allowed a foreign direct investment of up to 40% in Philippine-registered airlines.[26]

In June 2019, Romero's F&S Holdings bought the shares owned by Alfredo Yao and Hontiveros, thus becoming the new majority shareholder in the company. Four months later, Romero acquired Cojuangco's shares, becoming the sole local owner (and parent company) of the airline.[4] In June 2023, F&S Holdings sold all of its shares to AA Com Travel Philippines for an undisclosed amount.[4]

Destinations

Country City Airport Notes Refs
China Chengdu Shuangliu International Airport Terminated
Guangzhou Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport [23]
Hangzhou Hangzhou Xiaoshan International Airport Terminated
Kunming Kunming Changshui International Airport Terminated
Shanghai Shanghai Pudong International Airport
Shenzhen Shenzhen Bao'an International Airport [23]
Hong Kong Hong Kong Hong Kong International Airport
Indonesia Denpasar Ngurah Rai International Airport Terminated
Jakarta Soekarno–Hatta International Airport Terminated
Japan Osaka Kansai International Airport [27]
Tokyo Narita International Airport [28]
Macau Macau Macau International Airport [23]
Malaysia Kota Kinabalu Kota Kinabalu International Airport
Kuala Lumpur Kuala Lumpur International Airport
Philippines (Central Visayas) Cebu Mactan–Cebu International Airport Base [29]
Dumaguete Sibulan Airport Terminated [20]
Tagbilaran Bohol–Panglao International Airport
Philippines (Central Luzon) Clark Clark International Airport Base [30]
Philippines (Davao Region) Davao Francisco Bangoy International Airport
Philippines (Eastern Visayas) Tacloban Daniel Z. Romualdez Airport
Philippines (Mimaropa) Puerto Princesa Puerto Princesa International Airport
Philippines (National Capital Region) Manila Ninoy Aquino International Airport Base
Philippines (Northern Mindanao) Cagayan de Oro Laguindingan Airport
Philippines (Soccsksargen) General Santos General Santos International Airport Terminated [31]
Philippines (Western Visayas) Bacolod Bacolod–Silay Airport
Caticlan Godofredo P. Ramos Airport
Iloilo Iloilo International Airport
Kalibo Kalibo International Airport Base
Roxas Roxas Airport [20]
Philippines (Zamboanga Peninsula) Zamboanga Zamboanga International Airport Terminated [31]
Singapore Singapore Changi Airport Terminated
South Korea Busan Gimhae International Airport Terminated
Seoul Incheon International Airport
Taiwan Kaohsiung Kaohsiung International Airport [32]
Taipei Taoyuan International Airport
Thailand Bangkok Don Mueang International Airport
Vietnam Ho Chi Minh City Tan Son Nhat International Airport Terminated [33]

Fleet

An Airbus A320-200 at Daniel Z. Romualdez Airport.

As of April 2024, Philippines AirAsia operates the following aircraft:[3]

Philippines AirAsia fleet
Aircraft In service Orders Passengers Notes
Airbus A320-200 15 — 180 7 aircraft stored.[3]
186
Total 15 –

Sports teams

See also

References

  1. ^ "ACTIVE/CURRENT AOC HOLDERS" (PDF). Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines. 30 May 2019. Retrieved 8 January 2023.
  2. ^ "Join BIG! AirAsia BIG Loyalty Programme". Archived from the original on 26 May 2008.
  3. ^ a b c "AirAsia's Capital A Eyes 50 New Aircraft For Philippines | Aviation Week Network". aviationweek.com. Retrieved 3 August 2023.
  4. ^ a b c Mercurio, Richmond (6 June 2023). "Romero family exits airline business". The Philippine Star. Retrieved 6 June 2023.
  5. ^ Valdez, Denise A. (31 July 2019). "AirAsia PHL names new CEO". BusinessWorld.
  6. ^ "AirAsia launches Philippine joint venture | The Manila Bulletin Newspaper Online". Manila Bulletin. Archived from the original on 17 December 2010. Retrieved 2 June 2011.
  7. ^ a b c Rimando, Lala (16 December 2010). "Asia's largest budget airline, Filipino partners take on local industry". ABS-CBN News. Retrieved 5 November 2022.
  8. ^ Galang, Bernard (16 August 2011). "AirAsia first comm'l plane arrives at DMIA from France". People's Journal. Archived from the original on 16 April 2013.
  9. ^ a b "New kid on the block: AirAsia Philippines flying soon". Rappler. 7 February 2012. Retrieved 14 August 2022.
  10. ^ Suarez, K. D. (28 March 2012). "Philippines' AirAsia finally takes off". Rappler. Retrieved 14 August 2022.
  11. ^ Navales, Reynaldo G (8 April 2012). "Victory Liner, AirAsia provide free shuttle for Clark passengers". Sun.Star Pampanga. Archived from the original on 8 January 2014. Retrieved 11 February 2014.
  12. ^ Clark International Airport Corporation (n.d.). Annual Report 2012 (PDF) (Report). p. 4. Retrieved 21 November 2022 – via Clark International Airport Corporation.
  13. ^ Dumlao, Doris C. (11 March 2013). "AirAsia to acquire 40% of Zest Air". Inquirer Business. Retrieved 5 November 2022.
  14. ^ "AirAsia now controls Zest Air". ABS-CBN News. 24 May 2013. Retrieved 5 November 2022.
  15. ^ Rivera, Danessa O. (13 September 2013). "Airasia Philippines moves operations hub to NAIA-4". GMA News. Retrieved 5 November 2022.
  16. ^ "Philippines AirAsia Organizational Structure". AirAsia. Archived from the original on 28 February 2017. Retrieved 27 February 2017.
  17. ^ Dela Paz, Chrisee (28 March 2017). "From 2 jets to 70: AirAsia returns to its Clark roots". Rappler. Archived from the original on 5 November 2022. Retrieved 5 November 2022.
  18. ^ Salcedo, Dirk Andrei (11 August 2018). "Philippines AirAsia to launch Cagayan de Oro hub". Aviation Updates Philippines.
  19. ^ Camus, Miguel (2 March 2020). "COVID-19 crisis puts AirAsia IPO plan on hold". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Retrieved 2 March 2020.
  20. ^ a b c Piad, Tyrone Jasper (19 March 2022). "AirAsia adds more domestic flights as demand surges". Inquirer.net. Retrieved 8 April 2022.
  21. ^ "AirAsia relaunches overseas routes with Kinabalu flight". PortCalls Asia. 31 May 2022. Retrieved 9 February 2023.
  22. ^ "AirAsia launches Manila-Tokyo flights". PortCalls Asia. 2 February 2023. Retrieved 9 February 2023.
  23. ^ a b c d "AirAsia Philippines set to resume flights to China". BusinessWorld. 6 February 2023. Retrieved 7 February 2023.
  24. ^ "AirAsia unveils sprawling RedPoint office in the Philippines". AirAsia Newsroom. 9 October 2019. Retrieved 6 January 2023.
  25. ^ "AirAsia insider: Marianne Hontiveros". Macroaxis. Retrieved 7 June 2013.
  26. ^ Atienza, Kyle Aristophere T. (22 March 2022). "Duterte signs law allowing full foreign ownership in key sectors". BusinessWorld. Retrieved 6 December 2022.
  27. ^ "Philippines AirAsia Resumes Osaka Service in Dec 2022". Aeroroutes. Retrieved 30 November 2022.
  28. ^ "PHILIPPINES AIRASIA SCHEDULES TOKYO SERVICE FROM FEB 2023". AeroRoutes. Retrieved 25 January 2023.
  29. ^ Padronia, Earl Kim; Lorenciana, Carlo (16 August 2022). "AirAsia reopens Cebu hub, eyes more flights from MCIA". SunStar. Retrieved 5 November 2022.
  30. ^ "Philippines AirAsia reopens Clark hub, ups frequencies". ch-aviation.com. 4 January 2022. Retrieved 5 November 2022.
  31. ^ a b Balinbin, Arjay L. (22 January 2020). "AirAsia set to fly to Zamboanga, General Santos and Dumaguete". BusinessWorld.
  32. ^ Vibal, Leana (9 December 2022). "This Low-Cost Airline Is Flying Direct to Kaohsiung in 2023". SPOT.ph. Retrieved 18 December 2022.
  33. ^ Liu, Jim (23 January 2020). "Philippines AirAsia resumes Manila – Ho Chi Minh City service from late-March 2020". routesonline.com.

External links

  • Media related to Philippines AirAsia at Wikimedia Commons
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