I don’t want you to assume anything about this topic. However, I have always been wondering if AirAsia Philippines will have an Airbus A330neo in the fleet. Well, I am not confirming nor denying anything. The reality of AirAsia Philippines having an A330neo in the fleet is not far from happening. Personally, I feel AirAsia Philippines deserves to have the aircraft.
Before the pandemic, AirAsia X had the largest order of the Airbus A330-900neo amongst all airlines with a total of 76 planes on order. However, the pandemic and huge losses caused AirAsia X not to push through with all the orders, trimming it down to just 15. Two are already delivered, to AirAsia Thailand.
I just hope however that Capital A, the holdings company of AirAsia Aviation, would add more A330-900neo to their fleet and send some to the Philippines. Besides as of the recent financial reports, AirAsia Philippines has the highest load factor at 86%.
While there are a lot of factors to be considered, I still do feel that this A330neo, with its present seat configuration, will be perfect for the Philippines.
Lone A330-900neo operator in the Philippines
Cebu Pacific is the lone A330neo operator in the Philippines. They currently have three in the fleet with 13 more to be delivered. Cebu Pacific currently flies their A330neo within its whole network, from domestic flights to long-haul international flights.
Cebu Pacific also holds the record for the densest Airbus A330 seating, with its neo carrying 460 seats in an all-economy class configuration. The longest route being flown by the Cebu Pacific’s A330neo is Manila to Dubai and vice versa
Offering a different product
AirAsia’s current A330neo is configured with 377 seats mainly 12 business class seats and 365 economy class seats. Business-class for a low-cost airline? Yes, you heard that right, business class. AirAsia’s A330neo cabin is comparable to some of Philippine Airlines’ dense-seating A330-300 intended for the Middle East market. Lie-flat business class seats, no inflight entertainment system, leather seats, and a 3-3-3 abreast economy class configuration. However, PAL’s dense A330-300 is equipped with 18 business class seats, 27 premium economy (no difference from economy class seats except for a bit larger legroom and beige upholstery), and 323 economy class seats.
AirAsia X’s A330neos however was intended for flights between Asia and Europe, Australia, Hawaii, and the United States west coast.
If the same cabin configuration should be used for AirAsia Philippines, then this would give Cebu Pacific and Philippine Airlines some good competition for the Middle East market. Cebu Pacific does not offer much comfort as the AirAsia X configuration, but they can drop their prices. On the other hand, PAL may not be able to drop their tickets as low as AirAsia, amidst the fact that both their aircraft are similar in configuration.
Where will AirAsia Philippines fly the A330neo?
Indeed, the A330neo will allow AirAsia Philippines to open new markets such as the Middle East, Australia, and India. Notable here are the Middle East routes such as Dubai, Doha, Riyadh, Jeddah, and Dammam. Currently, both PAL and Cebu Pacific fly to Dubai. PAL on the other hand is the lone carrier serving the other Middle East routes. The entry of AirAsia Philippines with a similar cabin configuration and ultra-low fares will truly be a strong competitor for PAL. Unless PAL decides to use their tri-class A330-300s for the same higher ticket price.
Will they fly to the US west coast with a stopover at Honolulu? Well, not sure. However, before the pandemic, AirAsia X had flights to Honolulu using their A330neo.
Having A330neos will also allow AirAsia to increase capacity in key destinations, both regional and domestic, without having to pay for additional airport slots.
As for now, I can only hope and wish that AirAsia Philippines will soon fly this beautiful bird. More competition, the better for us travelers.
First love never dies. I fell in love with airplanes and aviation when I was a kid. My dream was to become a pilot, but destiny led me to another path: to be an aviation digital media content creator and a small business owner. My passion for aviation inspires me to bring you quality content through my website and social accounts. Aviation is indeed in my blood and blog!
