Sky’s the limit with budget airlines taking off
Everyone seems to be in Thailand, Vietnam, Japan or Taiwan these days—and budget airlines just keep the deals coming.
Air travel is no longer a luxury reserved for special occasions and the Philippine Daily Inquirer documented that consequential market shift.
In recent years, low-cost carriers like AirAsia Philippines and Cebu Pacific have been rolling out seat sales and expanding routes, making flying accessible more than ever.
The numbers tell the story.
According to the Civil Aeronautics Board, air passenger traffic in the Philippines for the first nine months of 2025 rose 6.25 percent to 46.84 million passengers.
This was driven largely by an increase in domestic flights, which saw a passenger volume of 24.95 million. International passengers were recorded at 21.89 million.
Meanwhile, the International Air Transport Association reported a 10.4-percent growth in demand, with an average 83.5 percent of seats filled, reaching record numbers both domestically and internationally.
The rise in air travel is particularly striking compared to decades ago, when flying was mostly limited to the middle and upper classes.
But today, even first-time travelers and Generation Z (Gen Z) can book flights to domestic and international destinations for a price that will not break their wallets.
AirAsia, named Asia’s Leading Low-Cost Airline for the 13th time, says its focus remains on keeping travel affordable and accessible.
“Offering great-value fares through seat sales and competitive pricing is central to AirAsia’s DNA. As a low-cost carrier, our entire business model is built on making air travel more accessible to more people,” AirAsia president and CEO Suresh Bangah said.
“When we offer great value, we’re opening doors for more Filipinos to travel and that helps grow the whole travel market,” he added.
Since 2024, the airline has launched 61 promotional campaigns, from piso seat sales to double-digit deals and AirAsia Fiesta promos. Weekly fare promotions also ensure more travelers can snag a ticket without breaking the budget.
With these deals, island escapes, weekend trips or even short hops across Southeast Asia have become part of everyday life for many Filipinos, turning the skies into a playground for the country’s growing community of travelers.
“In the Philippines, we are already seeing Filipinos travel more frequently—many now flying up to twice a year. Demand remains strong for short-haul regional destinations, particularly Japan, South Korea, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand,” Bangah said.
Bangah added that the airline is set to reopen its Vietnam route to support the growing demand for the destination.
“To further support this growing demand for Vietnam, AirAsia Philippines is also preparing to reopen Vietnam in its route portfolio,” he said.Cebu Pacific, on the other hand, recently launched more flights to Bangkok, Da Nang, and Sapporo.
“As travel demand continues to rise, these expanded services allow us to better connect Filipinos to the rest of the world and welcome more visitors to the Philippines,” Xander Lao, Cebu Pacific president and chief commercial officer, said earlier.
From January to September, Cebu Pacific carried 20 million passengers. Its domestic passengers jumped 12.7 percent to 14.9 million, while international passengers rose 17.7 percent to 5.1 million.
Tourism demand
Beyond affordability, budget airlines are reshaping tourism in the Philippines and in the world. More flights to secondary cities allow travelers to explore destinations that were previously harder to reach, while also supporting local economies and festivals.
According to Bangah, year-to-date, AirAsia has flown over 850 million guests globally and more than 5 million domestically.
He attributed the domestic growth to the reopening of their Cebu Hub, which he said could help boost the connection among local communities.
“The hub is designed for sustainable expansion as we deepen our ASEAN footprint and provide more affordable travel options to millions. Beyond competitive products, AirAsia Philippines actively supports local festivals across the routes we serve,” he said.
Currently, AirAsia’s top domestic routes include Cagayan, Tacloban, Cebu, Roxas, Puerto Princesa.
Asian neighbors, in particular has become an especially popular playground for Filipino budget travelers. This is reflected in AirAsia’s leading Asian destinations such as Bangkok, Macao, Kuala Lumpur, Taipei, Narita, and Kaohsiung.
In total, the airline served 136 destinations across 258 routes, 92 of which are unique to AirAsia.
Earlier in the year, travel booking service firm Klook reported that majority of Filipinos plan to travel locally in 2025 as they become “smarter and more intentional with their money.”
Klook found that the traveling behavior of Filipinos is not about to slow down anytime soon, especially as Millennials and Generation Zs are perceiving it as a “therapeutic tool.”
For Filipinos, the message is clear: They are in their travel era. The world, or at least Asia Pacific, is just a flight away. The future of Filipino travel is more frequent, affordable, and full of possibilities, and it’s being written by the country’s budget airlines, one seat sale at a time.
