Eight of the Philippines’ domestic airlines posted sound cargo results in 2013, airlifting 229.986 million kilograms of cargoes, an increase of 12.39% from the 204.640 kg in 2012, data from the Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB) showed.
Handling the most cargoes was low-cost carrier Cebu Pacific Air, cornering 47.68% of the total with 109.653 million kg. This is also 10.15% higher than last year’s figure of 99.548 million kg.
Cebu Pacific’s market share, however, contracted 0.97 percentage point in 2013 as Philippine Airlines and its low-cost unit PAL Express grew theirs.
Flag carrier PAL, which contributed 25.88% to the total volume, was in second place with 59.527 million kg, a 0.23% improvement from 2012’s 59.389 million kg.
PAL’s sister airline, PAL Express, was in third spot with 39.157 million kg, or 17.03% of the total, and reflecting 53.86% growth from 25.450 million kg in 2012.
Another low-cost carrier, Air Asia Zest, accounted for 7.37% of the total or 16.943 million kg last year, 14.55% lower than the 19.827 million kg it carried in the previous year.
Budget carrier Tigerair Philippines posted the second-biggest growth with 3.329 million kg of cargoes, an increase of 3,262.67% from 99,005 kg in 2012. Tiger represented 1.45% of the total.
Yet another low-cost carrier Air Asia registered an improvement of 242.41% with 1.111 million kg or 0.48% of the total cargoes transported in 2013 from 324,535 kg in 2012.
(Air Asia Zest is the result of Air Asia buying into Zest Air last year.)
Island Transvoyager, an airline that started operating in 2013 with direct flights to and from Manila and Palawan, carried 167,629 kg of cargoes, or 0.07% of the total.
Although in last place, leisure airline Magnum Air (SkyJet) Inc., which accounted for 0.04% of the total, was 2013’s most improved carrier in terms of cargoes, handling 98,089 kg, or 5,233.82% more than the 1,839 kg in 2012.
Passenger volume handled by the eight domestic carriers, however, declined 1.14% to 20.335 million passengers in 2013 from 20.568 million in 2012. ––Roumina M. Pablo
Photo from www.facebook.com/cebupacificair/photos
