AirAsia celebrates Iloilo-Manila inaugural flight

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AirAsia is now flying to Iloilo International Airport, the primary gateway to Western Visayas and Panay region. The airline voted the World’s Best Low Cost Carrier for nine years running flew its maiden flight from Manila to Iloilo today with Dinagyang-themed festivities held at both Manila and Iloilo airports to welcome guests and passengers.

Ilonggo senator Franklin Drilon and Iloilo governor Arthur Defensor with AirAsia Philippines Chairperson Maan Hontiveros, AirAsia Philippines CEO Captain Dexter Comendador and Iloilo Airport Terminal Manager Mercine Reyes during the welcome ceremonies.

AirAsia flight Z2 309, with pilot in command AirAsia Philippines CEO Captain Dexter Comendador left Manila on time at 2:15PM with 98% load. AirAsia’s iconic red plane was greeted with a traditional water cannon salute upon landing at Iloilo airport.

AirAsia Philippines CEO Dexter Comendador said, “AirAsia is now painting Iloilo skies red and we are here to provide only the best and world-class service that every traveller from Iloilo and the whole of Western Visayas and beyond truly deserves. Our brand of air travel is characterized by efficiency, innovative service culture, and unparalleled low fares.”

“Our commitment is to better connect secondary cities in the Philippines to ASEAN where the AirAsia Group has extensive network across all ten countries and even beyond including Asia, Australia, India, and many more.”

Government officials led by Senator Franklin Drilon who hails from Iloilo City, Provincial Governor Arthur Defensor, Vice Mayor Atty. Jose Espinosa III of Iloilo City, Mayor Ronilo Caspe of Cabatuan, Mayor Dennis Superficial of Sta. Barbara, Regional Director of DOT VI Atty. Helen Catalbas, and Iloilo Airport Terminal Manager Mercine Reyes graced the welcome ceremonies at the Iloilo airport with AirAsia Philippines Chairperson Maan Hontiveros, AirAsia Philippines CEO Captain Dexter Comendador and Jeffrey Yao, Vice Chair of Philippine Business Bank, and representative of his father, Alfred Yao, one of the airline’s Filipino investors.

“We are grateful for the support from the government and local chief executives including those in the hospitality business, our hotel and travel agency partners, in crafting policies that truly support and promote tourism. Let us continue to work together to provide level-playing field, encourage fair competition that affords every traveller more and better choices, and enable the expansion of airline services to more communities,” Comendador added.

All AirAsia passengers flying to and from Iloilo also joined the celebration and received special souvenir items before boarding their flights.

To celebrate AirAsia’s newest flight, promo fares for Manila – Iloilo from as low as P990, all-in are now available for booking at airasia.com from 2 October until 15 October 2017 and valid for travel starting 9 October 2017 to 31 March 2018.

AirAsia services Manila – Iloilo with three flights daily using the airline’s fleet of Airbus A320s that can accommodate up to 180 passengers.




AirAsia Philippines is a wholly owned subsidiary of AirAsia Inc. which is a joint venture company among Filipino investors Antonio O. Cojuangco, former Ambassador Alfredo M. Yao, Michael L. Romero, Marianne B. Hontiveros, and Malaysia’s AirAsia Berhad.

AAP operates a fleet of 17 aircraft with domestic and international flights out of hubs in Manila, Cebu, and Kalibo. The airline operates several flights to/from Manila, Davao, Cebu, Kalibo, Caticlan (Boracay), Tacloban, Tagbilaran (Bohol), Puerto Princesa (Palawan), Clark, and Iloilo in the Philippines with international flights to/from Shanghai, Taipei, Incheon (Seoul), Hong Kong, Macau, Kuala Lumpur, Kota Kinabalu, Guangzhou, Vietnam and Singapore.

AAP is part of the AirAsia Group that has been awarded the World’s Best Low Cost Carrier for nine consecutive years running by Skytrax since 2009 to 2017.

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