EUROPEAN aircraft manufacturer Airbus SE plans to expand its operations in the Philippines, seeing the country as a promising market, a company official said.
“Very much so, [the Philippines is an attractive market] for Airbus. We see, on the commercial aviation side, the massive growth in passenger numbers,” Airbus Chief Representative for the Philippines Jussi Hoikka said during a briefing on Tuesday.
“We see that with the activity of the airlines and on the defense and security side,” he added.
Airbus is expected to help bolster the Philippines’ air defense and is in talks with the Philippine Air Force to expand its fleets, Mr. Hoikka said.
“We are always in close discussions with the Air Force, we are in collaboration to meet their requirements,” he said.
Mr. Hoikka said Airbus is “well-placed” to support the Armed Forces of the Philippines’ military modernization initiative, which has a budget of about P2 trillion.
“Airbus relationship extends across commercial aircraft, defense, space, and helicopters. As the geopolitical landscape in the Asia-Pacific region becomes more complex, it is vital that nations like the Philippines are equipped with the tool to protect their sovereignty,” he said.
He noted that Airbus completed the Philippine Air Force’s order of seven C295 aircraft in 2021, originally placed in 2014.
‘’Airbus is confident of meeting the Philippines’ future military needs with our cutting-edge technologies and aircraft to help the AFP (Armed Forces of the Philippines) fulfill their missions to protect [the Philippine] sovereignty and ensure the safety of its citizens,” he said.
Airbus is also considering expanding its facility at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport.
“If the market demands it and obviously for an archipelagic nation like the Philippines, you can imagine that there are many places around the country that would need such services,” he said.
Airbus dominates the fleets of Philippine Airlines and Cebu Pacific.
In July, Cebu Pacific announced that it had agreed to buy up to 152 A321 new engine option (NEO) aircraft from Airbus, valued at P1.4 trillion or $24 billion, marking the largest aircraft order in the Philippines. — Ashley Erika O. Jose