AirAsia eyes Bulacan airport as transit hub

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February 14, 2026 | 12:00am

BAHRAIN — The Philippines has more reasons to complete as soon as possible what would become its largest airport,  the New Manila International Airport (NMIA), with the world’s best low-cost carrier AirAsia planning to expand commercial operations in the country.

Tony Fernandes, CEO of AirAsia’s parent Capital A Berhad, told The STAR that the airline is just waiting for more airport slots to open up before it makes the Philippines one of its transit hubs.

Fernandes said the airline is struggling to add more destinations from the Philippines because its main gateway Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) is already congested.

NAIA’s passenger traffic reached a new record 52.02 million in 2025, way beyond its 35-million capacity. Private operator New NAIA Infrastructure Corp. is undertaking a P170.6-billion project that would primarily raise NAIA’s capacity to 62 million per year.

This is why AirAsia is awaiting the completion of the P735.63-billion NMIA  in Bulacan. NMIA’s first phase can handle as many as 35 million passengers annually, with operations scheduled to begin by late 2028.

NMIA can serve up to 100 million passengers per year, a capacity that Fernandes believes could change the game for the Philippines as an aviation hub.

AirAsia is retiring its widebody fleet for long-range trips by 2031, as it focuses on building up its single-aisle jets that can connect destinations through transfer hubs.

For the Philippines, this could mean becoming AirAsia’s transit point for its plan to reach North America, particularly to the US, with Manila just 12 hours away from the US West Coast.

Last year, AirAsia signed a $12.25-billion contract to buy up to 70 Airbus A321XLRs to support its multi-hub expansion. The A321XLR is a single-aisle jet perfect for AirAsia’s low-cost model, but its range can go as far as 8,700 kilometers, emulating widebody aircraft.

Further, Fernandes said the completion of NMIA would make AirAsia consider launching direct flights to Bahrain, its transit hub to Europe. By June 26, AirAsia will begin flying one-stop trips to London from Kuala Lumpur via Bahrain.

The plan is to mount direct flights to Bahrain from AirAsia’s Southeast Asia bases, including the Philippines, to offer low-cost options when flying to Europe and Africa.

AirAsia, recognized as the World’s Best Low-Cost Airline by Skytrax for 16 straight years now, operates domestic and international flights from Manila, reaching East and Southeast Asian cities like Macao, Kaohsiung, Taipei, Hong Kong, Hanoi, Bangkok, Da Nang and Kuala Lumpur.