Budget carrier AirAsia Philippines will resume some of its services in China, as Beijing eased restrictions for business and other essential travel.
AirAsia Philippines CEO Ricky Isla said between February and March, AirAsia Philippines is set to operate weekly flights to Guangzhou, Shenzhen, and the special administrative region of Macao.
China has yet to fully reopen the country to leisure travel.
“The final piece of the puzzle that will complete the recovery process of the aviation industry is here. Now that China is opening its borders to the world, a new era of tourism, trade and commerce is set to emerge. And as always, AirAsia will be there to ensure our guests the best value deals, as we safely take them to the skies of renewed opportunities,” Isla said.
Just like other airlines, AirAsia had to stop its operations to and from China due to the pandemic and the restrictions mandated by the Chinese government.
China was the second largest tourism market of the Philippines. In 2019, 1.7 million visitors from China traveled to the Philippines.
Before the pandemic, AirAsia flew over 750,000 guests to and from China.
AirAsia will resume its Manila-Guangzhou operations on February 15, operating the route thrice weekly. It will resume its four-times-per-week Manila-Shenzhen service and its thrice weekly flights between Manila and Macao on March 2.
