Legacy carrier Philippine Airlines announced on Thursday it had generated a 7-percent increase in revenue in 2017—attributed from the increased number of passengers and volume of cargo following its fleet and route network expansion.
In a statement, PAL disclosed that in 2017, a total of 14.5-million passengers (or an average of 39,634 passengers a day) flew on board 51,681 round-trip flights, operated by a fleet of 86 airplanes whose bellies carried a total of 236.1 million tons of cargo.
Annual average passenger load factor was pegged at 71.39 percent.
PAL continues to maintain a strong market share in its international routes despite intense competition with legacy carriers and a growing number of low-cost carriers in the Asia Pacific region.
Net passenger revenues stood at $2.17 billion last year compared to $2.02 billion in 2016, while net cargo revenues reached $166.5 million.
This brought total revenues to $2.6 billion against $2.4 billion the previous year.
Meanwhile, seven new hand-carry x-ray machines are now installed to prevent the entry of contraband via personal belongings and hand-carried luggage at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport.
The acquisition of the machines, according to Customs Commissioner Isidro Lapeña Jr., would address the increasing incidents of smuggling and drug trafficking in airport terminals.
Two brand new Rapiscan x-rays have been placed at Naia Terminal 3 while two units at the Terminal 2, and another two units are being set up at Terminal 1.
“These new x-rays will help us detect taxable items inside the passenger luggage such as jewelry, luxury bags and watches, undeclared foreign currency, and more importantly smuggled illegal drugs and other prohibited items,” said Lapeña.
With the new x-rays equipment, passengers are required to submit their hand-carry bags to the Customs x-ray personnel to conduct a non-intrusive examination.
In April 2017, President Rodrigo Duterte called on the Bureau of Customs and Bureau of Immigration to stop the opening of baggage in airports after reports of baggage pilferage in airports.
“We will still observe the standing rule—no opening of bags in the airport. However, baggage marked by the x-ray machine which is suspected to contain contraband items and/or misdeclared items can be physically examined,” Lapeña said.
“If you don’t have anything illegal under your sleeve, then there’s no need to be alarmed by the x-ray inspection,” he added.
In October 2017, Customs beefed up its anti-smuggling capacity by adding 19 new x-rays in the three terminals of Naia.
Since March 2018, 12 apprehensions of illegal drugs importations were conducted in Naia due to the strict profiling of customs examiners on suspicious shipments and subsequent confirmation of x-ray examination and K9 inspection.
Just recently, Customs agents seized 11.5 kilograms of methamphetamine hydrochloride or shabu worth P74.8 million in Port of Clark.