Aboitiz InfraCapital expects passenger traffic across its three-airport portfolio to exceed last year’s 16.7 million travelers, although prolonged conflict in the Middle East and softer demand in some markets have tempered its growth outlook for 2026.
President and chief executive officer Cosette Canilao said passenger volumes remain resilient despite geopolitical disruptions and adverse weather, but the company’s performance could have been stronger without the impact of the conflict.
“It’s looking good, looking strong. But we could have done more, I suppose, without the Middle East war,” Canilao said.
She declined to provide a specific growth forecast ahead of the release of third-quarter results, while pointing to the November-December holiday period as a potential boost to full-year traffic.
“It’ll be higher, but I don’t know how high,” she said.
Canilao said passenger growth was particularly robust during the first four to five months of 2026 before the prolonged conflict weighed on momentum, highlighting the vulnerability of aviation and tourism demand to external shocks.
Bohol-Panglao International Airport has faced additional headwinds from AirAsia’s reduced flight frequencies and declining arrivals of South Korean tourists, a key visitor market for the island destination.
To support demand, Aboitiz InfraCapital is stepping up partnerships with the Department of Tourism, the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and local governments, including Bohol, to promote regional destinations and strengthen connectivity.
Its Discover Visayas via Cebu initiative seeks to encourage travelers to use Cebu as a gateway to other destinations across the Visayas, potentially spreading tourism activity beyond major entry points.
Despite the near-term uncertainties, Canilao expressed greater optimism for 2027, when the company expects stronger passenger growth as promotional initiatives gain traction and external pressures ease.
Her outlook, however, remains dependent on factors beyond the operator’s control, including geopolitical developments, airline capacity decisions and international travel demand.
Canilao emphasized that sustained public-private collaboration would be critical to the recovery, as airport growth depends not only on infrastructure capacity but also on route availability, destination marketing and the broader tourism environment.
