Philippines regional market presents opportunities but also challenges for start-ups such as SkyJet

This is the fifth and final instalment in a series of analysis articles on the Philippines market. The first part analysed the strong position of Philippine market leader Cebu Pacific. The second part looked at the tie-up between LCCs Zest Air and AirAsia Philippines, which along with Tiger affiliate SEAir compete with Cebu Pacific in the fast-growing budget end of the market. The third part looked at the outlook for Philippine Airlines (PAL) in the domestic market, including the recent decision by the group to abandon the low-cost model at sister carrier AirPhil/PAL Express. The fourth part looked at PAL's position in the international market. This part examines the opportunities in the dynamic Philippine regional market as a result of consolidation and rationalisation in the domestic market.

Regional carriers have traditionally played an important role in the Philippines as several domestic airports, including some of the country's most popular tourism destinations such as Boracay, cannot be accessed with Airbus or Boeing aircraft. Even some of the country's low-cost carriers operate turboprops, abandoning the normal single aircraft type mantra of the LCC model, recognising the unique needs of the Philippine market.