Philippine airlines reduce direct flights to China

More cutbacks planned as demand dips amid tensions between the two countries

- Mara Cepeda

Three main Philippine airlines have reduced direct flights between the country and China, and are planning further cutbacks by year-end amid sluggish demand from Chinese tourists. This is driven by heightened geopolitical tensions between the two countries and a ban on mostly Chineserun online casinos.

AirAsia Philippines, the local unit of Malaysia's AirAsia owner Capital A, has suspended all its flights from Manila to China.

Before the Covid-19 pandemic, AirAsia Philippines had flights from Manila to seven Chinese cities in 2019. In 2023, the carrier had flights to four cities in China, two by mid-2024, and none by end-August.

AirAsia Philippines' head of communications and public affairs, Mr Steve Dailisan, said the temporary suspension was "to optimise the fleet and prioritise other routes with stronger load factors".

Passengers from Manila can still travel to China through other AirAsia hubs in Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia and Cambodia, he said.

In the meantime, local budget carrier Cebu Pacific has shelved plans to resume its Manila-Beijing flights in 2024.

That route was suspended in 2020 due to pandemic-related travel restrictions.

Cebu Pacific president and chief executive Alexander Lao told reporters on Oct 3 that the carrier would reduce its flights from Manila to Guangzhou, Shanghai, Shenzhen and Xiamen by the end of 2024 due to low demand.

By then, "we will be down from maybe anywhere between five and seven flights a week, to just two destinations. And it is probably because of softening demand in China", he said.

Chinese travellers are more focused on domestic tourism for now due to China's slowing economy, and Cebu Pacific needs to adjust its plans accordingly, he added.

Meanwhile, Philippine Airlines has reduced its flight frequencies from Manila to China, according to global flight statistics provider OAG Aviation.