What we are experiencing now is simply just the start of the recovery of the aviation industry. We are, in fact, just about to experience the full recovery of the airlines after the devastating effects of the Covid-19 pandemic. Airlines are set to add more routes and employees by the next year 2023. Expect more aircraft to be delivered too!
I am even expecting more foreign carriers to hire Filipino crew beginning in 2023. I believe that 2022 is just the “honeymoon phase” of the recovery process.
It is only this year that airlines are rehiring staff and crew who were retrenched in 2020 and 2021. While the recovery of the local airline industry in the Philippines is fast, expect it to go faster beginning in 2023 and beyond.
No more lockdowns
The announcement by Philippine President Bong Bong Marcos that there will be no more lockdowns is a clear welcome sign. Well, at least for the domestic sector. This means that the local aviation industry will continue to move unhampered. Filipinos, particularly the vaccinated ones, will still be able to pursue their travel plans.
Lockdowns and flight restrictions are the main cause as to why airlines suffered greatly.
With this pronouncement, I now somehow have that sense of security that ECQ, MECQ, etc., are now history. Airlines will be able to increase capacity with, of course, heightened health protocols. Having no lockdowns is indeed essential in the recovery progress of the local airlines.
Push for tourism
Marcos also did mention that “our country must become a travel destination”. This being said, the government will come out with ways and means to enhance our travel and tourism industry. Airlines will support this move by working hand in hand with the government for better interconnectivity between islands.
It was also mentioned during the SONA that our airports will be improved to accommodate more flights to spur tourism around the country. As such, expect a huge increase in capacity particularly in the domestic sector. With the increase in capacity, more manpower will be needed, particularly flight crew.
More aircraft to be delivered to the airlines
It is confirmed that AirAsia will resume delivery of its Airbus jets, particularly the A321neo which can fit 236 passengers. Its Philippines subsidiary is looking forward to operating the aircraft soonest as they are confident it can be filled given the present load factor.
On the other hand, Cebu Pacific has a goal of operating an all-NEO fleet by 2027. That means they have 5 more years to take in their remaining 13 A330-900neo, 22 A321neo, 10 A321XLR, and 6 A320neo. While the airline continues to take delivery of brand new jets, I am expecting that there will be a higher delivery rate by 2023 onwards to meet their target.
Philippine Airlines has a pending order for 13 more Airbus A321neo. While the delivery of these planes has been pushed back due to its restructuring, I am still optimistic that they may resume delivery by 2023. Oh, by the way, the typical “airline marines” has it that PAL may put an order for more widebody jets once they are allowed to put in orders. Do I smell Airbus A350-1000? Well, we’ll know in the next few years.
International airlines will also be resuming the delivery of more aircraft by 2023 and beyond. What does this mean? It is most likely that more crew will be hired to man these new jets. While old jets will be replaced, the new efficient aircraft with even longer range will allow airlines to expand their network resulting in the need for more crew.
There will even be more flight crew job openings from 2023 and beyond
If things go well, and I am optimistic that they will, the rate airlines are hiring crew members now is just the beginning. The only reason why there were mass crew-hiring events lately is due to the number of present crew members moving to foreign airlines combined with the return of air travel demand.
However, this is just the start of everything. By 2023, local airlines will be hiring more crews primarily due to a high capacity increase brought by higher travel demand levels. Currently, our local airlines have reinstated around 80% of their pre-pandemic capacity on average. I see it go to 100% by December or early 2023.
So if you miss this chance to fulfill your dream to become a cabin crew or to work for an international airline this year, don’t worry. There will even be more opportunities come 2023 and beyond.
So hold on to those horses. Don’t hurry too much. This year is just the beginning. Better and bigger opportunities are coming your way!
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!
