Sunlight Air to raise flight frequencies on core routes, holds off on 2027 network expansion

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Sunlight Air flight frequency increase

Highlights

Sunlight Air will increase Clark-Coron flights to four or five daily from two, focusing on boosting frequency on high-demand routes in 2025.
Passenger load factor remains between 75% and 80%, but management anticipates flat demand and will cut frequencies on underperforming routes while upgrading its ATR-72 fleet.
Fuel crisis from Middle East conflict and peso pressure are dampening travel demand, but Sunlight Air expects steady holiday season bookings on core routes like Clark-Coron and Cebu-Siargao.

Capacity plan centers on high-demand routes

As reported by BusinessWorld Online, Sunlight Air says it is increasing service frequency on its strongest routes next year instead of expanding its destination network.

Chief Executive Officer Ryna C. Brito-Garcia says the airline is looking in particular to lift its Clark-Coron service to four or five flights a day from the current two. Sunlight Air flies to Coron, Siargao, Boracay, Siquijor, and Romblon from Clark and Cebu.

Ms. Garcia says the carrier's passenger load factor is between 75% and 80%, but some frequencies on weaker routes may be reduced. The company is also upgrading its ATR-72 fleet while keeping seat capacity broadly unchanged, and the aircraft configuration is set to remain largely the same.

Earlier this year, the airline started transferring its operations to Clark International Airport.

Demand outlook remains cautious

Management says demand conditions remain difficult as conflict in the Middle East contributes to a fuel crisis and adds pressure on the peso, weighing on travelers' purchasing power.

Ms. Garcia says the airline has diverged from its earlier plans and is focused on getting through the current crisis. She says load factor is expected to stay flat and is not expected to improve over the next year or two, adding that many airlines in the Philippines and globally are trying to hold on amid persistent uncertainty.

Even so, the company remains positive about the upcoming holiday season. Sunlight Air says its most in-demand routes include Clark-Coron and Cebu-Siargao, and it expects Filipinos and foreign travelers to continue flying during the holidays.

In our earlier article on the WTO’s warning about lasting trade impacts from the Ukraine and Middle East wars, we explained how repeated disruptions are pushing companies to redesign supply chains and shipping routes for greater resilience, even at higher cost. We also noted the WTO’s expectation of a sharp contraction in Middle East trade in 2024 and its view that the global outlook remains uncertain despite pockets of support such as rising demand for AI-related products.

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