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Domestic carriers’ air cargo throughput grew 17.9% to 195.18 million kilograms in 2022 from 165.59 million kg in 2021, preliminary data from the Civil Aeronautics Board show
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The 2022 volume is short by 34.94% from the pre-pandemic levels of more than 300 million kg
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Cebu Pacific accounted for the highest volume of 77.22 million kg, representing a 40% market share
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Eight of the 10 reporting domestic carriers recorded increases, one saw a decline, and another had just started reporting cargo volumes
Air cargo handled by domestic carriers in the Philippines grew 17.9% to 195.18 million kilograms in 2022 from 165.59 million kg in 2021, according to preliminary data from the Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB).
The 2022 volume, however, was still 34.94% off the pre-pandemic levels of more than 300 million kg.
Of the 10 reporting domestic carriers, eight recorded increases, one saw a decline, and another had just started reporting cargo volumes.
The growth in air cargo volumes last year came as airlines continued to increase flights as COVID-19 travel restrictions were eased further. Data from CAB showed that domestic passenger traffic hit 22.5 million in 2022, up 307% from the 5.53 million passengers recorded in 2021.
Cebu Pacific continued to handle the highest volume of air cargo in 2022 with 77.22 million kg, representing a 40% market share. The low-cost carrier’s volume last year was also 20% higher than the 64.29 million kg it recorded in 2021.
Philippine Airlines (PAL) followed with a 25% share or 49.38 million kg, a 22.7% increase from the 40.25 million kg it carried in 2021.
Placing third was PAL’s sister carrier, PAL Express, which accounted for 18.8% of the total with 36.73 million kg, up 14% from 32.24 million kg in 2021.
Coming in fourth with an 11.8% share or 22.97 million kg was AirAsia Philippines, which registered a 104% increase from 11.27 million kg in 2021.
Leisure airline Seair International jumped two places to fifth after handling 2.95 million kg, 1.5% of the total and 0.8% higher than the 2.93 million kg it recorded in 2021.
Cebu Pacific’s sister airline, Cebgo, shared 1.2% or 2.32 million kg, down 77.5% from the 10.30 million kg it handled in 2021 and placing one rank down to sixth.
Boutique airline AirSwift Transport Inc. carried 2.01 million kg, 1% of the total and a whopping 954% increase from 190,881 kg in 2021. AirSwift also climbed from 11th place in 2021 to seventh.
Charter airline Island Aviation Corp. also recorded a three-digit increase last year with a 148% improvement to 901,792 kg from 363,909 kg previously. It moved one place to eighth.
Dropping one rank to ninth was budget airline Royal Air Charter Service Inc., which shared 696,908 kg, up 77% from 393,256 kg in 2021.
Lastly, boutique charter airline Sunlight Express Airways, which began operations in 2020, handled 6,480 kg last year. – Roumina Pablo
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