ShareThisNINOY AQUINO INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT – International passenger traffic flow in the Philippines grew by double digits in the first nine months of the year, mostly because of cheaper fuel cost and global economic recovery, according to the Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB).
Data from the CAB showed that international passenger traffic went up by 15.3 percent to 10.55 million from January to September last year compared with the 19.15 million passengers in the same period in 2009.
In 2009, the airline industry was affected by the Influenza A(H1N1) scare and the global economic downturn.
CAB said inbound passengers went up by 15.9 percent to 5.09 million in the first nine months of last year from 4.39 million in the same period in 2009.
Outbound passengers, on the other hand, reached 5.45 million, up by 14.74 percent to 4.75 million passengers.
Of the 45 carriers with authority to fly in and out of the country, only 35 airlines operated during the period.
CAB said Air Nauru, Aeroflot, Air France, Vietnam Airlines, Canadian Airlines and British Airways ceased flying to the Philippines in 2001 followed by Swissair, Egyptair, Air France and P.T. Bouraq in 2004.
Porvenir Porciuncula, CAB’s deputy executive director and head of economic planning, said he is optimistic that the strong international passenger volume will continue this year despite the anticipated increase in jet fuel cost.
According to the International Air Transport Association (IATA), jet fuel price stood at $ 107.7 per barrel as of December 24 last year.
“We are optimistic that the international traffic will grow at least 8 percent this year,” Porciuncula said.
The country’s flag carrier, Philippine Airlines (PAL), flew 2.96 million international passengers in the first nine months of last year from 2.54 million passengers in the same period in 2009.
Of the total, PAL’s inbound passengers stood at 1.43 million and 1.53 million, outbound passengers.
Cebu Pacific, on the other hand, carried 1.5 million international passengers, up by 31.5 percent from 1.14 million passengers.
The Gokongwei-led airline flown 726,123 inbound passengers and 775,640 outbound passengers.
Zest Airways flew 28,084 international passengers and Spirit of de Manila, 6,915 international passengers.
Southeast Asian Airlines (SEAIR) and Mandarin Airlines, on the other hand, posted zero passengers during the period.
Other airlines that posted a growth in in the number of passengers carried during the period were Cathay Pacific Airways, 1.03 million; Singapore Airlines, 504,180 passengers;Northwest Airlines, 332,938 passengers; Korean Air, 411,796 passengers; and Japan Airlines, 226,165 passengers.
Other airlines which recorded an increase in passengers were Emirates Air, 424,115 passengers; Qatar Airways, 358,136 passengers; Thai Airways, 192,117 passengers; and China Airlines, 203,352 passenger