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Air cargo handled by Philippine carriers grew 25.8% in the first half of 2022 year-on-year
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Of the nine reporting carriers on CAB’s list, only three reported a decrease in volume during the period in review
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Low-cost carrier Cebu Pacific still accounted for the biggest chunk or 37% of the total throughput with 36.977 million kg
Philippine air carriers posted a 25.8% surge in domestic cargo traffic handled in the first half of 2022 to 98.936 million kilograms from 78.624 million kg year-on-year, preliminary data from the Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB) showed.
Of the nine reporting carriers on CAB’s list, only three reported a decrease in volume. Local airlines have been progressively increasing their flight operations this year as travel restrictions due to the COVID-19 pandemic eased. Some airlines are projecting a return to their pre-pandemic passenger levels this year.
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Cebu Pacific still accounted for the biggest chunk or 37% of the total domestic cargo traffic with 36.977 million kg. This is 30.2% higher than the 28.394 million kg the low-cost airline handled in the first half of 2021.
Remaining at second place is Philippine Airlines with 33.344 million kg or 33.7% of the total, up 83% from 18.199 million kg year-on-year.
PAL Express (PALEx), which contributed 13.9% or 13.706 million kg, kept its ranking in third place. But the airline handled 18.4% less air cargo in the first half of this year than from 16.805 million kg recorded in the same period last year.
AirAsia Philippines jumped one rank to fourth place with 10% or 9.988 million kg, a 147% surge from last year’s 4.052 million kg.
Cebgo dropped to fifth spot with 1.7% or 1.73 million kg, a 71% drop from the 5.994 million kg handled in the first half of 2021.
Leisure airline Seair International rose one rank to sixth place with 1.6% of the total or 1.557 million kg. The volume is 0.3% less than the 1.561 million kg recorded last year.
Boutique airline AirSwift jumped three places to seventh with 0.8% or 746,037 kg of the total, a whopping 1,497% climb from 46,701 kg last year.
Charter airline Island Aviation Corp. was still in eighth place carrying 449,590 kg (0.5% share), 80% up from last year’s 249,175kg.
Royal Air Charter Service, Inc., which only began reporting on freight volume in 2021, handled 0.4% or 438,105 kg, remained at ninth place. Royal Air’s first semester cargoes, however, were 443% higher than the 80,722 kg handled in the same period last year. – Roumina Pablo
