Low-cost carrier AirAsia Philippines is mounting direct flights from Manila to Nagoya, building up its regional network to capture some of the demand for air travel to Japan from Filipinos.

AirAsia Philippines announced it will add Nagoya to its Japan network beginning Oct. 29, pushing on with its expansion in one of the destinations preferred by Filipinos.

AirAsia Philippines CEO Ricardo Isla said the airline decided to enter Nagoya to offer Filipinos another place to explore in Japan aside from Tokyo and Osaka.

Japan is one of the strongest international destinations among domestic carriers, with AirAsia Philippines on track to double this year its passenger volume to Japan in 2023.

'Japan is one of the strongest regional markets for AirAsia Philippines. In fact, we have already flown 210,000 guests for the first half of 2024,' Isla said.

'We are confident that we will double the 270,000 guests flown in 2023 through our competitive airfares, more services, better flight timings and world leading service,' he added.

Citing a report from Statista, Isla said Japan remains the most preferred destination abroad among Filipinos, who go to the country to experience its mix of culture and modernity.

For AirAsia Philippines, Isla said two in three travelers who went to Japan in the past six months are from the age bracket of 30 to 50, and their bookings were made within two months from the travel date.

In picking Nagoya as its new Japan route, AirAsia Philippines sees tourism potential in the city that Filipinos may fall in love with. For one, Nagoya can serve as a jump-off point to the Chubu region, where travelers can access one of the best views of Mt. Fuji.

Further, Nagoya hosts the Nagoya Castle, Shirakawa-go Village, Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route and the Osu Shopping District. Nagoya is also one of the biggest cities in Japan, and is home to more than 57,000 Filipinos.

The Philippine unit of AirAsia is holding a seat sale for Nagoya flights until Aug. 11, offering base fares of as low as P888 per way.

AirAsia Philippines is the third largest local carrier behind Cebu Pacific and Philippine Airlines, sending out flights to 12 domestic destinations and 13 international cities.

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