International Traffic Grows 11% at first half

October 16, 2011

By Llewelyn Sanchez

The number of passengers on international flights coming and going into the country grew by  11 percent from January to June 2011, rising to 8.078 million from 7.269 million in the same period last year, according to the Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB).

Included in the number are passengers booked as “non-revenue.” 

Of a total of 8,035,216 million passengers recorded from January to June, 3,934,291 were incoming passengers and 4,100,925 were outgoing ones. Non-revenue passengers numbered 42,856.

In the same period last year, total traffic stood at 7,269,830, including 32,106 non-revenue passengers.

“The traffic continues to improve because the airline industry as a whole is improving. Many airlines also offer cheaper fares and many flights and the appetite to travel via airplane has come back,” CAB executive director Carmelo Arcilla explained.

Philippine Airlines (PAL), which topped the passenger traffic on CAB’s list, saw its traffic improving to 2,044,491 versus 1,951,494 last year.

Cebu Pacific Air came in second, ferrying 1,296,556 passengers as of June 30, from 1,008,389 in the same period in 2010.

Zest Air reported 84,793 international passengers; Airphil Express, 84,433; and Seair 90,280 passengers.

The other top carriers on CAB’s list were: Cathay Pacific Airways, 712,117; Singapore Airlines, 339,116; Asiana Airlines, 278,286; Emirates Air, 286,085; Northwest Airlines, 176,328; Korean Air, 291,255; Thai Airways, 122,467; China Airlines, 112,094; Asiana Airlines, 278,286; and Etihad Airways,224,173; and Qatar Airways, 219,413.