AirAsia expands routes, adds Manila-Kaohsiung

MANILA, Philippines — Low-cost carrier AirAsia Philippines has expanded its international network with the addition of a new route to Taiwan.

AirAsia flew its maiden flight on Tuesday from the Ninoy Aquino International Airport in Manila to Kaohsiung International Airport, Taiwan’s second busiest airport.

The carrier is scheduled to fly three times weekly from Manila to Kaohsiung.

“AirAsia is thrilled to add Manila–Kaohsiung to our growing list of exciting places to visit in Taiwan. With AirAsia’s unparalleled low fares and visa-free access to Taiwan for Filipinos, now is the best time to explore this massive port city and home to skyscrapers, shopping malls, night markets, parks, historical and natural wonders,” AirAsia Philippines chief executive officer Dexter Comendador said.

Kaohsiung is famous for towering buildings and diverse parks, but the most notable is the Love River, where cafes and cruise boats navigating its waters are the main attractions.

Aside from Manila–Kaohsiung, AirAsia also flies direct to Taipei from Manila, Clark, and Cebu with several flights daily.

The airline also recently expanded its domestic network with the addition of new flights in Mindanao.

AirAsia added new flights from Cagayan De Oro City to Manila, Cebu, Iloilo and Clark.

AirAsia has a current fleet of 21 Airbus A320s, from only two aircraft in 2012 when the airline began its commercial operation in Clark, Pampanga.

AirAsia’s Cagayan de Oro-Manila route operates twice daily, while Cagayan de Oro-Cebu route has flights daily, and  Cagayan de Oro-Clark operates four times weekly.

AirAsia Philippines is a joint venture between Filipino investors Antonio Cojuangco, former ambassador Alfredo Yao, Michael Romero, Marianne Hontiveros, and Malaysia’s AirAsia Group Berhad.

The AirAsia Group is the leading and largest low-cost carrier in Asia, servicing the most extensive network of over 135 destinations across all ASEAN countries, Asia, India, Australia, China, Middle East and Hawaii in US.