AirAsia Philippines focusing on fleet restoration to pre-pandemic levels

Low-cost carrier AirAsia Philippines is eyeing to restore its fleet to its pre-pandemic levels amid the recovery of air travel demand post COVID-19 pandemic.

In a chance interview with reporters, AirAsia Philippines CEO Ricky Isla said the airline is expecting to fully restore the fleet by the third quarter of 2024.

“It’s more of Q3… when it’s already close to 2019 level. We want to go back to 2019-levels,” Isla said.

For his part, AirAsia spokesperson Steve Dailisan said the carrier is currently flying 16 aircraft —a far cry from 24 aircraft operating in 2019.

“By first to second week of February, hopefully we will have 17 aircraft [flying],” Dailisan said.

The AirAsia spokesperson, however, said the challenge in restoring the fleet would be the piling up of aircraft for maintenance, repair, and overhaul across the industry.

Dailisan said AirAsia is also adding Airbus 321 aircraft to its fleet by the end of the year to “allow us more capacity in the routes that we fly.”

“Hopefully by the end of the year, we have 24 to 25 [aircraft],” the AirAsia spokesperson said. —VAL, GMA Integrated News