Airphil expects revenues hitting P11 billion

MANILA, Philippines - Budget carrier Airphil Express expects its revenues to rise P10 billion to P11 billion this year from a year ago as it starts new flights both to domestic and international destinations.

 “We’re looking at, at the very least… revenues to roughly about, P10 to P11 billion,” Alfredo Herrera, Airphil senior vice president for marketing and sales said in a press conference in Clark, Pampanga late Friday when asked for an outlook on revenues this year.

He said the budget carrier sees revenues rising this year from last year’s P8 billion with the opening of new flights.

Beginning March 29, Airphil will start flights from Clark to Cebu, Davao, Kalibo and Puerto Princesa.

With new operations at Clark, Herrera said, the budget carrier will be deploying additional Airbus A320 aircraft, which can carry 180 passengers each, this year.

 “We already have 11 (A320s). We’re getting two more by third quarter and will get two more by end of the year,” he said.

He said Airphil is also looking to start new flights to international destinations in May, depending on the entitlements.

Airphil, he said, is eyeing to start flights from Cebu to Singapore, Manila to Bangkok and Manila to Kuala Lumpur.

He also said that the carrier is hopeful that it could get an entitlement for flights to South Korea.

 “It looks like Korea is going to open up to us. We are in dialogue already,” he said.

At present, Airphil has two international flights, one from Manila to Singapore and the other from Cebu to Hong Kong.

Herrera said the opening of new flights and deployment of additional aircraft is part of Airphil’s plan to expand this year and increase its market share.

The budget carrier, he said, is aiming to double the number of passengers served last year to eight million this year.

He said the bulk of the passengers last year were accounted for by those going to domestic destinations.

With the opening of new flights this year, he said Airphil is looking to increase the number of its passengers to international destinations.

“We want to go to a 70-30 mix. Right now, we’re like 95-percent domestic,” he said.

Last year, Airphil served 4 million passengers, 122 percent higher than the 1.8 million passengers in 2010.