Philippines turboprop fleet expands rapidly, leading to more than 20 new point-to-point routes

The Philippines has emerged as a large growth market for turboprop manufacturers as airlines respond to surging demand for regional services, and congestion at Manila, by launching new point-to-point routes. The number of turboprops operated on scheduled services in the Philippines increased by 57% in 2017, from 21 to 33 aircraft.

There are now over 50 domestic routes in the Philippines operated by turboprop aircraft, compared to less than 30 routes 15 months ago. Philippine Airlines' (PAL) regional subsidiary, PAL Express, added 16 turboprop routes in 2017, and the Cebu Pacific turboprop subsidiary Cebgo has added 23 routes since Nov-2016.

The Philippines' two main airline groups have been using their fast-expanding turboprop fleets to launch point-to-point routes that bypass congested Manila. The new routes enable Cebu Pacific and PAL to continue expanding in the domestic market despite the constraints precluding growth at Manila, while at the same time meeting surging demand for domestic point-to-point services as the Philippines economy grows rapidly.