AirAsia restarts old routes as China reopens

Travelers are set to have more flight options going to China as AirAsia Philippines reopens old routes.

The budget carrier, in a statement on Monday, said it was “returning to key economic hubs in China to revitalize business and other essential travel while waiting for the full reopening of the country to leisure travelers.”

It will begin offering thrice-a-week flights to Guangzhou by Feb 15. The Shenzhen and Macau routes will be available by March 2.

“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,” AirAsia CEO Ricky Isla said.

The low-cost airline also recently started offering flights to Tokyo as it seeks to fully restore international routes to prepandemic levels. It also returned to Kaohsiung, Taiwan last week, with flights available three times per week.

The budget carrier ended January with a 90-percent average load factor, showing a 10-percent growth from the same period in 2022.

Philippine Airlines was the first to restart flights to China via Guangzhou and Xiamen. These routes were opened after nearly three years of suspension due to pandemic-induced border restrictions.

Cebu Pacific, another low-cost airline, has also resumed flights to Guangzhou, Shanghai, Shenzhen and Xiamen.

International aircraft leasing company Avolon earlier said global aviation traffic was expected to keep its momentum with Asia, led by China, driving the growth for air travel demand.