At the end of 2023, AirAsia PH achieved a 91-percent load factor, a 2-percent rise from the 89-percent load factor in 2022. More than 6.6 million passengers were carried by the airline, a 57-percent increase over the 4.2 million passengers carried from the previous year.

The 2023 4th quarter figures for AirAsia PH, which showed that the airline carried 1.6 million passengers, or an 88-percent load factor, were also mainly responsible for the carrier's overall performance.

“Our success and growth in passenger capacity reflect the strong demand for air travel. Other factors seen to have contributed to our increased capacity include stable jet fuel prices and our monthly double-digit sales, which are anchored to providing the best deals to our guests. In 2024, we will continue to strengthen our domestic presence while leveraging our strong route network across Asean and beyond,” AirAsia Philippines chief executive officer Ricky Isla said.

Forward bookings for March, April and May on AirAsia Philippines began to rise as early as 25 January. Over 300,000 seats have already been sold for popular domestic destinations like Boracay, Bohol, Puerto Princesa and Cebu, as well as international destinations like Taipei, Narita, Tokyo and Incheon.

“The full return of our pre-pandemic fleet in 2024 is seen to optimize flight frequency, reactivate previously shelved destinations and open more international routes that will satisfy the travel needs of our guests,” Isla added.

In the meantime, the parent company of AirAsia Philippines, Capital A Berhad, disclosed the aviation operating data for the 4th quarter and the entire financial year 2023.

A strong group load factor of 88 percent for FY2023 — a year-over-year gain of 5 percentage points — was achieved by other airline members of the group, namely AirAsia Malaysia, AirAsia Thailand and AirAsia Indonesia, all of which have continuously recorded load factors in the high 80s every quarter.

This accomplishment represents the resurgence of robust travel demand, which was consistent with the group's efforts to restore market capacity and the route network. Operations continue to stabilize as additional capacity is made available and the quality of the customer experience increases.

By year's end, the group had 162 aircraft operating, carrying about 57 million passengers. Due to a 74-percent capacity recovery, the aviation group's passenger-carried recovery increased to 77 percent from pre-COVID levels. The recovery is leading the latter, with 72 percent occurring internationally and 82 percent occurring locally.