Business World
April 17, 2011 11:07:36 PM
PASSENGERS on international flights going through the country increased by 12.42% to 14.013 million last year from 12.465 million in 2009, with those leaving the country outnumbering the ones incoming, data the Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB) released over the weekend showed.
Outgoing passengers totaled 7.08 million last year, up 11.8% from 6.33 million in 2009.
In comparison, incoming passengers increased by 13.06% to 6.93 million from 6.13 million in the same comparative years.
CAB officials could not be immediately reached for comment.
Philippine Airlines (PAL) accounted for the biggest bulk of passengers -- 28.07% -- last year at 3.93 million, up 15.8% from 3.39 million in 2009.
"Improved passenger numbers is a welcome development. It signifies slow recovery of travel sector," PAL Spokesperson Cielo C. Villaluna said via text yesterday.
However, Ms. Villaluna cautioned that growth in the carrier’s passengers may be threatened by currently volatile fuel prices, the airline’s ongoing labor dispute and the crisis in Japan.
Budget carrier Cebu Air, Inc., on the other hand, accounted for 14.73% with 2.0634 million last year, a 26.93% increase from 1.63 million in 2009.
"Twenty-ten was really a good year for [Cebu Air]. We added a lot of international flights in 2010 and we also offered a lot of low rates to encourage travel," Candice A. Iyog, Cebu Air vice-president for marketing and distribution, said in a separate telephone interview yesterday.
Cathay Pacific Airways, meanwhile, accounted for the third biggest passenger complement at 9.58% with 1.34 million last year.
But that total was a 2.82% dip from the 1.38 million passengers recorded in 2009.
Singapore Airlines was fourth with 659,452 passengers last year, up 15.46% from 571,151 in 2009.
In terms of domestic flights, data CAB released in February showed that the number of passengers increased 12.27% to 16.56 million last year from 14.75 million in 2009.
The growth was attributed by CAB to stronger domestic tourism and greater price competition among airlines. -- K. A. Martin
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