AirAsia PH Prepares for Tourists, Increases Frequency of Flights

Following the government’s move to reopen the country’s borders to tourists, AirAsia Philippines announced on Tuesday that it will be increasing its flight frequencies to prepare for the steady flow of foreign travelers. “The increase in our flight frequency is part of our commitment to make sure that we will be able to prop up and support the demand towards summer,” explained Steve Dailisan, AirAsia Philippines spokesperson.

The airline plans to launch its expanded number of flights in March 2022. Flights to Caticlan will be ramped up to 34 times weekly, Iloilo to 14 times weekly, Tacloban to 24 times weekly, Panglao to 14 times weekly, Puerto Princesa to 9 times weekly, Bacolod to 14 times weekly, Davao to 11 times weekly, Cagayan de Oro to 9 times weekly, Kalibo to 11 times weekly, and Cebu to 21 times weekly.

These aforementioned destinations have likewise started to accept foreign tourists, only requiring their vaccination cards before being allowed entry, according to AirAsia Philippines. Partially vaccinated travelers, on the other hand, will still need to present a negative RT-PCR test result before entry.

“We are thrilled about the latest development, as the months of March, April, and May are enticing months for foreign travelers especially those who love tropical islands and diving destinations,” added Dailisan. “We truly commend the government’s effort to relax the country’s travel protocol and open its borders to fully vaccinated foreign travelers. The much anticipated foreign arrivals will likely jumpstart our tourism industry as we move forward towards post-pandemic recovery.”

AirAsia Philippines is also set to introduce two new routes in the coming months which include Dumaguete in April and Roxas in June. Meanwhile, it is also eyeing to reopen its flights to Bangkok and Bali in March as well as Incheon in April to add to its existing international flights to Singapore and Hong Kong.

From February 1 to February 17, it was recorded that 79,337 international tourists — 91% of which were fully vaccinated — entered the Philippines based on data from the Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA). While it is still far from pre-pandemic levels, it presented a significant increase from the 9,005 arrivals in February 2021.

More tourists are expected to visit the country after the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) announced that it will recognize the vaccination cards of foreigners from Argentina, Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Chile, Denmark, Ecuador, Indonesia, Myanmar, Papua New Guinea, Peru, Portugal, and Spain.

Source: GMA News