AirAsia says 2023 forward bookings surpass 2022 tally

AIRASIA Philippines said forward bookings so far this year have risen past the total guests it flew last year amid strong demand for travel to popular local and international destinations.

In a press release on Tuesday, the low-cost carrier said as of end-February, forward bookings until December 2023 have tripled the 500,000 guests flown from its hubs in the Philippines in 2022.

AirAsia said it saw an increase in forward bookings to local destinations such as Bohol, Boracay, and Puerto Princesa. There has also been a rise in bookings to Bangkok, Osaka, Tokyo, and Incheon.

In line with the strong travel demand, the airline has been expanding its on-ground crew to support the growth in flight bookings.

“With the resumption of our ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) destinations and flight frequency expansion, which greatly contributes to our overall load factor, AirAsia Philippines is continuously expanding our roster of flight and on-ground crew to accommodate the projected travel demand growth among Filipino travelers this 2023,” AirAsia Communications and Public Affairs Head Steve F. Dailisan said.

For the past two months, AirAsia said it has processed an initial 260 new hires. Last year, the airline hired 600 new flight and ground crew amid headwinds.

“To delight more guests to book their flights early, AirAsia Philippines is kicking off the month of March with the 3.3 Travel Fest which offers a one-way base fare for as low as P33 to local destinations,” the company said.

These one-way base fare promos include destinations such as Bacolod, Cagayan De Oro, Tacloban, Cebu, and Davao.

Meanwhile, the airline will also be offering one-way base fares as low as P1,033 to Hong Kong, Macao, Taipei, Kaohsiung, Guangzhou, and Shenzhen. — Justine Irish D. Tabile