IN a bid to continue its winning streak in the local budget airline market, Airphil Express commences flights from Clark International Airport in Pampanga, which began on March 29 this year. The airport operator Clark International Airport Corp. (CIAC) has signed an agreement with the country’s fastest-growing budget carrier Airphil Express that will provide flights from Clark to Cebu, Davao, Kalibo and Puerto Princesa and vice versa.
The move forms part of Airphil Express’s plans to expand further in 2012, and to steadily increase its market share in the burgeoning budget carrier industry, by tapping a strongly emerging tourist market in North and Central Luzon. In 2011 Airphil Express reported servicing over 4 million passengers, a growth of 122 percent from 1.8 million passengers in 2010. This year the budget carrier is targeting to double that figure to 8 million. In 2011 Airphil Express reached P8 billion in revenues, according to Alfred Herrera, Airphil Express senior vice president for sales and marketing.
“We are providing a vital and convenient link between residents and visitors in the north to popular destinations in the south such as Boracay and Palawan,” explained Herrera during recent ceremonies sealing the agreement between the CIAC and Airphil Express.
“The population in North and Central Luzon is estimated at around 18 million, which is virtually 25 percent of the entire Philippine population,” said Herrera on the market potential of the area. “Add to that the growing number of foreign tourists who are also exploring the northern area of the country, who can now conveniently travel directly to the Visayas and Mindanao.”
For the new Clark operations, Airphil Express will deploy Airbus A320 aircraft, which have a capacity of 180 passengers. Early this year, the company acquired three Airbus A320 units, which can fly at longer flight distances with less fuel consumption. This brings the total number of new Airphil Express aircraft to 11 Airbus 320s, three Q300s and five Q400s.
The new routes would also kick off under the following flight schedules—Clark to Cebu route (v.v.) every Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday; Clark to Davao route (v.v.) every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday; Clark to Kalibo route (v.v.) every Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday; and Clark to Puerto Princesa route (v.v.) every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday.
Airphil Express is currently the darling of the tourism crowd with its affordable rates and convenience-driven products and services like Web Check-In, Seat Selector, Travel Insurance and Pre-Paid Baggage, as well as travel exclusives of as much as 15 kilos free baggage allowance and an additional 7-kilo free hand carry. It is regarded as the first budget airline to address the needs of business and leisure travelers through its round-the-clock, 24/7 customer service presence in social-networking web sites.
The airline is also the first to enable its customers to manage their bookings online such as rescheduling and rerouting of previously booked tickets through www.airphilexpress.com. “We are expecting about 80 percent tourists who are mostly Koreans and Taiwanese, and 20 percent among them are businessmen,” Herrera added.
Aside from operating in 32 local destinations throughout the country, Airphil Express also serves Manila-Singapore and Cebu-Hong Kong international routes. To know about the latest travel promotions of Airphil Express, visit www.airphilexpress.com. Guests can also keep in touch and provide immediate feedback to Airphil Express’s 24/7 customer support team by following www.twitter.com/airphilexpress and facebook.com/airphilexpressph.
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