Low-cost carrier Cebu Pacific Air remained the top domestic air cargo carrier for 2014, handling 48.5% of the Philippines’ total domestic air cargo throughput.
Data from the Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB) showed that cargo shipped by domestic airlines jumped 10.5% to 250.681 million kilograms (kg) in 2014 from 226.888 million kg in 2013.
Of the total, Cebu Pacific transported 121.538 million kg, 11% higher than the 109.653 million kg it handled in 2013.
PAL Express (PALEx), the low-budget airline of Philippine Airlines, was the second top carrier handling 30% or 74.575 million kg. This is a surge of 106.8% from 36.059 million kg carried in 2013. PALEx also shipped higher volume of domestic air cargo than PAL since it flies to domestic markets where PAL does not have operations.
PAL was third with an 11.8% share or 29.552 million kg, a 50.35% drop from 59.527 million kg in 2013.
Low-cost carrier, AirAsia Zest ranked fourth with a 5.8% share of the total. The airline handled 14.442 million kg, 14.7% less than the previous year’s 16.943 million kg.
Cebgo, previously Tigerair Philippines, airlifted 2.8% of the total volume in 2014 with 7.08 million kg, 112.7% up from 3.329 million kg in 2013.
Budget carrier AirAsia likewise grew its volume to 2.968 million kg from 1.111 million in 2013, a 167.1% difference. AirAsia, aside from Cebgo and leisure airline Magnum Air (Skyjet) Inc., has increased their volumes significantly since 2013.
Carrying only 0.2% of the total, Island Transvoyager’s cargo volume last year rose 162% to 439,658 kg from 167,629 kg in 2013. Island Transvoyager is the only airline with direct to and from Manila-El Nido, Palawan flights.
Magnum Air came last with 86,621 kg, or 0.03% of the total. Magnum carried 86,621 kg last year, 11.7% lower than the 98,089 kg it airlifted in 2013.
Magnum Air was recently suspended by the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines due to safety concerns but the airline has since secured a temporary restraining order against the indefinite suspension. The Pasay Regional Trial Court on May 22 issued a 20-day TRO against the suspension.
The International Air Transport Association said air cargo demand growth increased 4.5% in 2014 compared to 2013. The vast majority of the growth in 2014 was in the Asia-Pacific and Middle East regions, which respectively contributed 46% and 29% of the expansion in freight tonnes kilometers. – Roumina Pablo
Image courtesy of khunaspix at FreeDigitalPhotos.net
