Business
AirAsia opens routes to 3 Chinese cities from Kalibo, Aklan airport
AIRASIA has added several flights to Macau, Kunming and Chengdu from Kalibo International Airport, gateway to Boracay Island.
As the carrier continues to expand its international network, AirAsia Philippines CEO Captain Dexter Comendador said the airline is ringing in the new year with additional international flights to Boracay via Kalibo International Airport from three new destinations to once again boost tourism in the country’s so-called paradise island.
AirAsia’s Kalibo-Macau route will commence on March 2, 2019, with three flights weekly while Kalibo-Chengdu will begin on January 24, 2019, operating four times weekly and Kalibo-Kunming on January 25, 2019, three times weekly.
“China is an important market for leisure and tourism and we are excited to bring them back to Boracay. Direct flights will provide ease and comfort for Chinese tourists while giving local tourism industry a necessary boost after the rehabilitation works that closed the island to all tourists for six months last year,” Comendador added.
AirAsia earlier announced it would operate Kalibo-Hangzhou starting January 18, 2019.
The AirAsia Group has multiple routes to and from China from its hubs in Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia and the Philippines. AirAsia operates flights to Macau, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Shenzhen, Guangzhou and Hangzhou from hubs in Manila, Cebu and Kalibo.
Kunming is the capital of Yunnan province in China. It is always springtime in Kunming, with pleasant weather all year long. It is known for its cultural diversity, with 25 ethnic groups and boasting natural wonders, including the magnificent limestone formations in Shilin (Stone Forest), a Unesco World Heritage site, the enchanting Jiu Xiang Cave and colorful Dongchuan Red Land.
Chengdu, meanwhile, is one of the biggest cities in China. Known for its culinary and cultural delights, this Sichuan capital has been described as the “mellower, eternally good vibes, clean and fun-loving” compared to the megacities of Beijing and Shanghai.
Macau is an autonomous region on the south coast of China located across the Pearl River Delta from Hong Kong. A Portuguese territory until 1999, Macau has been nicknamed the “Las Vegas of Asia.” One of its more striking landmarks is the 338-meter high Macau Tower.
AirAsia Philippines (AAP) is a wholly owned subsidiary of AirAsia Philippines Inc., a joint venture between Filipino investors Antonio O. Cojuangco, former Ambassador Alfredo M. Yao, Michael L. Romero, Marianne B. Hontiveros and Malaysia’s AirAsia Group Berhad.
The airline started its commercial operations in 2012 in Clark, Pampanga, and has since expanded to include hubs in Manila, Cebu, Clark and Kalibo.
AirAsia currently operates a fleet of 21 aircraft with several flights to and from Manila, Cebu, Clark, Davao, Tacloban, Puerto Princesa, Iloilo, Tagbilaran (Bohol), Kalibo, Caticlan and Cagayan de Oro.
It has international flights from Manila, Cebu, Davao, Clark and Kalibo to Kuala Lumpur, Kota Kinabalu, Hong Kong, Macau, Shanghai, Shenzhen, Guangzhou, Ho Chi Minh, Bali, Taipei, Kaohsiung, Singapore, Seoul/Incheon, Pusan and Bangkok.
