Philippines AirAsia explained

Airline:Philippines AirAsia
Iata:Z2
Icao:APG
Callsign:COOL RED
Aoc:2009003[1]
Frequent Flyer:BIG Loyalty Programme[2]
Fleet Size:25[3]
Destinations:29
Parent:AA Com Travel Philippines Inc.[4]
Headquarters:Pasay, Metro Manila, Philippines
Key People:Ricardo P. Isla (President & CEO)[5]

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

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 but was delayed due to the long duration of processing the new requirements instituted in 2008.

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 Clark base to reduce further losses, and moved its operations to NAIA, initially at Terminal 4.[15] It later moved its international flights to Terminal 3 by 2014.[16]

In 2015, AirAsia Zest merged with AirAsia Philippines. Following the merger, the newly consolidated airline was renamed as Philippines AirAsia.[17] 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. The airline then continued to expand its network by adding more destinations, reopening their operating base at Clark on 28 March 2017,[18] and the launch of more secondary bases in the Philippines.[19] On 1 July 2019, it launched flights to Osaka, its first destination in Japan.[20]

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, 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.[21] It also retrenched 624 employees due to the pandemic.[22]

As travel restrictions eased in 2022, Philippines AirAsia started to rebuild its network by adding more flights, launching flights to Dumaguete and Roxas City, and resuming most international flights starting 27 May 2022.[23] On 1 February 2023, it launched daily flights to Tokyo.[24] 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.

On 1 July 2023, Philippines AirAsia transferred its domestic operations at Ninoy Aquino International Airport from the highly congested Terminal 4 to the larger Terminal 2, while international flights remained at Terminal 3.[25]

Corporate affairs

Philippines AirAsia 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.[26]

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.[27] The remaining 40% is owned by AirAsia Investments Ltd. (later AirAsia Aviation Limited) of Malaysia. 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.[28]

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.[29] In June 2023, F&S Holdings sold all of its shares to AA Com Travel Philippines for an undisclosed amount.

Destinations

See main article: List of AirAsia Group destinations.

Country CityAirportNotesRefs
ChinaChengduChengdu Shuangliu International Airport
GuangzhouGuangzhou Baiyun International Airport[30]
HangzhouHangzhou Xiaoshan International Airport
KunmingKunming Changshui International Airport
ShanghaiShanghai Pudong International Airport
ShenzhenShenzhen Bao'an International Airport
Hong KongHong KongHong Kong International Airport
IndonesiaDenpasarNgurah Rai International Airport
JakartaSoekarno–Hatta International Airport
JapanNagoyaChubu Centrair International Airport[31]
OsakaKansai International Airport[32]
TokyoNarita International Airport[33]
MacauMacauMacau International Airport
MalaysiaKota KinabaluKota Kinabalu International Airport
Kuala LumpurKuala Lumpur International Airport
Philippines (Central Visayas)CebuMactan–Cebu International Airport[34]
DumagueteSibulan Airport[35]
TagbilaranBohol–Panglao International Airport
Philippines (Central Luzon)ClarkClark International Airport<--[36] -->
Philippines (Davao Region)DavaoFrancisco Bangoy International Airport
Philippines (Eastern Visayas)TaclobanDaniel Z. Romualdez Airport
Philippines (Mimaropa)Puerto PrincesaPuerto Princesa International Airport
Philippines (National Capital Region)ManilaNinoy Aquino International Airport
Philippines (Northern Mindanao)Cagayan de OroLaguindingan Airport
Philippines (Soccsksargen)General SantosGeneral Santos International Airport
Philippines (Western Visayas)BacolodBacolod–Silay Airport
CaticlanGodofredo P. Ramos Airport
IloiloIloilo International Airport
KaliboKalibo International Airport
RoxasRoxas Airport
Philippines (Zamboanga Peninsula)ZamboangaZamboanga International Airport[37]
SingaporeSingaporeChangi Airport
South KoreaBusanGimhae International Airport
SeoulIncheon International Airport
TaiwanKaohsiungKaohsiung International Airport[38]
TaipeiTaoyuan International Airport
ThailandBangkokDon Mueang International Airport
VietnamHo Chi Minh CityTan Son Nhat International Airport[39]

Fleet

, Philippines AirAsia operates the following aircraft:[3]

Sports teams

See also

Notes and References

  1. Web site: ACTIVE/CURRENT AOC HOLDERS . . May 30, 2019 . January 8, 2023.
  2. Web site: Join BIG! AirAsia BIG Loyalty Programme. https://web.archive.org/web/20080526140430/http://www.airasia.com/my/en/big/big-loyalty.page. dead. 26 May 2008.
  3. Web site: AirAsia's Capital A Eyes 50 New Aircraft For Philippines Aviation Week Network . 2023-08-03 . aviationweek.com.
  4. News: Romero family exits airline business . Richmond . Mercurio . The Philippine Star . 6 June 2023 . 6 June 2023 .
  5. Web site: Valdez . Denise A. . 31 July 2019 . AirAsia PHL names new CEO . BusinessWorld.
  6. Web site: AirAsia launches Philippine joint venture The Manila Bulletin Newspaper Online . . 2 June 2011 . 17 December 2010 . https://web.archive.org/web/20101217043632/http://mb.com.ph/articles/293287/airasia-launches-philippine-joint-venture . live .
  7. News: Asia's largest budget airline, Filipino partners take on local industry . Lala . Rimando . December 16, 2010 . ABS-CBN News . November 5, 2022.
  8. Web site: Galang . Bernard . August 16, 2011 . AirAsia first comm'l plane arrives at DMIA from France . dead . https://archive.today/20130416153833/http://www.journal.com.ph/index.php/news/provincial/11352-airasia-first-comml-plane-arrives-at-dmia-from-france . 16 April 2013 . People's Journal.
  9. News: New kid on the block: AirAsia Philippines flying soon . Rappler . 7 February 2012 . 14 August 2022.
  10. News: Suarez . K. D. . 28 March 2012 . Philippines' AirAsia finally takes off . Rappler . 14 August 2022.
  11. News: Navales . Reynaldo G . 8 April 2012 . Victory Liner, AirAsia provide free shuttle for Clark passengers . Sun.Star Pampanga . dead . 11 February 2014 . https://web.archive.org/web/20140108034426/http://www.sunstar.com.ph/pampanga/local-news/2012/04/08/victory-liner-airasia-provide-free-shuttle-clark-passengers-215167 . 8 January 2014.
  12. Annual Report 2012 . Clark International Airport Corporation . n.d. . 4 . 21 November 2022 . Clark International Airport Corporation.
  13. Web site: Dumlao . Doris C. . March 11, 2013 . AirAsia to acquire 40% of Zest Air . November 5, 2022 . Inquirer Business.
  14. News: May 24, 2013 . AirAsia now controls Zest Air . ABS-CBN News . November 5, 2022.
  15. News: Airasia Philippines moves operations hub to NAIA-4 . Danessa O. . Rivera . GMA News . 13 September 2013 . 5 November 2022.
  16. News: AirAsia transfers 3 int'l flights to NAIA 3 . Lawrence . Agcaoili . The Philippine Star . September 11, 2014 . 4 July 2024.
  17. Web site: Philippines AirAsia Organizational Structure . https://web.archive.org/web/20170228000904/http://www.airasia.com/ph/en/about-us/airasia-philippine-organizational-structure.page . 28 February 2017 . 27 February 2017 . AirAsia.
  18. News: From 2 jets to 70: AirAsia returns to its Clark roots . Chrisee . Dela Paz . Rappler . March 28, 2017 . November 5, 2022 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20221105094930/https://r3.rappler.com/business/165343-airasia-philippines-clark-airport-kalibo . November 5, 2022.
  19. News: Philippines AirAsia to launch Cagayan de Oro hub . Dirk Andrei . Salcedo . August 11, 2018 . Aviation Updates Philippines .
  20. News: AirAsia Philippines to launch Manila-Osaka route on July 1 . Ma. Cristina . Arayata . Philippine News Agency . 30 March 2019 . 4 July 2024.
  21. News: Camus . Miguel . March 2, 2020 . COVID-19 crisis puts AirAsia IPO plan on hold . Philippine Daily Inquirer. March 2, 2020.
  22. News: AirAsia PH to welcome back over 400 hibernating staff . Ma. Cristina . Arayata . Philippine News Agency . 25 November 2021 . 4 July 2024.
  23. News: AirAsia relaunches overseas routes with Kinabalu flight . May 31, 2022 . PortCalls Asia . February 9, 2023.
  24. News: AirAsia launches Manila-Tokyo flights . February 2, 2023 . PortCalls Asia . February 9, 2023.
  25. News: Domestic flights back at NAIA Terminal 2 . July 4, 2024 . CNN Philippines . July 2, 2023 . July 5, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230705121326/https://www.cnnphilippines.com/news/2023/7/2/Domestic-flights-back-at-NAIA-Terminal-2.html . dead .
  26. News: AirAsia unveils sprawling RedPoint office in the Philippines . AirAsia Newsroom . 9 October 2019 . 6 January 2023.
  27. Web site: AirAsia insider: Marianne Hontiveros . 7 June 2013 . Macroaxis.
  28. News: Duterte signs law allowing full foreign ownership in key sectors . 22 March 2022 . Kyle Aristophere T. . Atienza . BusinessWorld . 6 December 2022.
  29. News: Romero family exits airline business . Richmond . Mercurio . The Philippine Star . 6 June 2023 . 6 June 2023 .
  30. Web site: AirAsia Philippines set to resume flights to China . BusinessWorld . 6 February 2023 . February 7, 2023.
  31. Web site: Philippines AirAsia Adds Manila – Nagoya Service From late-Oct 2024 . Aeroroutes . 31 July 2024 . 1 August 2024.
  32. Web site: Philippines AirAsia Resumes Osaka Service in Dec 2022 . Aeroroutes . 30 November 2022.
  33. Web site: PHILIPPINES AIRASIA SCHEDULES TOKYO SERVICE FROM FEB 2023 . AeroRoutes . January 25, 2023.
  34. News: AirAsia reopens Cebu hub, eyes more flights from MCIA . Earl Kim . Padronia . Carlo . Lorenciana . August 16, 2022 . SunStar . November 5, 2022.
  35. News: Piad . Tyrone Jasper . 2022-03-19 . AirAsia adds more domestic flights as demand surges . en . Inquirer.net . 2022-04-08.
  36. News: 4 January 2022 . Philippines AirAsia reopens Clark hub, ups frequencies . ch-aviation.com . 5 November 2022.
  37. News: Balinbin . Arjay L. . 22 January 2020 . AirAsia set to fly to Zamboanga, General Santos and Dumaguete . .
  38. News: This Low-Cost Airline Is Flying Direct to Kaohsiung in 2023 . Leana . Vibal . SPOT.ph . 9 December 2022 . 18 December 2022.
  39. Web site: Liu . Jim . 23 January 2020 . Philippines AirAsia resumes Manila – Ho Chi Minh City service from late-March 2020 . routesonline.com.