Domestic air passenger traffic returned to a little over three-fourths of pre-pandemic levels last year as travel restrictions eased.Civil Aeronautics Board data showed 2022 domestic passenger volume at 22.50 million, 306 percent higher than 2021's 5.53 million and about 76 percent of the 29.53 million recorded in 2019.The government lifted most travel restrictions in the first quarter of 2022 to help the economy recover from the Covid-19 pandemic.Gokongwei-led Cebu Pacific, operated by Cebu Air Inc. remained the country's leading domestic airline with 11.39 million passengers last year, more than four times higher than 2021's 2.68 million. The budget carrier's 2022 volume was said to be about 87 percent of the 2019 level. Rival PAL Express, meanwhile, came in second with 3.84 million domestic passengers last year, followed by another low-cost airline, AirAsia Philippines, which flew a total of 3.63 million.Flag carrier Philippine Airlines, the parent of PAL Express, was fourth with two million domestic passengers.Cebgo, a unit of Cebu Pacific, carried total domestic passengers of 1.36 million, while AirSwift Transport Inc. flew 212,059 passengers.International passenger traffic, meanwhile also improved last year but was just under a third of the 2019 level. But at 9.83 million last year, it was still 348 percent up from 2.19 million in 2021. Of the total, domestic airlines carried 3.99 million international passengers, while foreign carriers flew 5.83 million. PAL carried the most number of international passengers last year at 3.34 million, followed by Cebu Pacific with 435,841 passengers. AirAsia Philippines (198,093), Royal Air Charter Service (11,385) and Astro Air International (119) followed, CAB data showed. Meanwhile, domestic cargo traffic totaled 195.18 million kilograms last year, 18 percent higher than 2021's 165.58 million kgs. International cargo traffic hit 418.32 million kgs., higher by 105 percent up 204.19 million kgs. in 2021.
