CEBU Pacific topped of Philippines air carriers carrying the most cargo volume for the first quarter of 2023, reports Manila's Port Calls.

Of the eight reporting local carriers, five saw double- and triple-digit year-on-year growth as airlines continued to boost their flights this year with Cebu Pacific accounting for 37 per cent of the total volume in the first quarter with 21.773 million kilograms.

AirSwift Transport saw the biggest improvement with a 591.8 per cent growth while Cebgo reported the biggest drop of 70.6 per cent.

Philippine domestic carriers handled 10 per cent more air cargo in the first quarter of the year to 59.01 million kilograms from 53.607 million kilograms year on year, according to latest data from the Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB).

Of the eight reporting local carriers on the list, five saw double- and triple-digit year-on-year growth as airlines continued to boost their flights this year.

Low-cost carrier Cebu Pacific accounted for 37 per cent of the total volume with 21.7 million kilograms, 16.7 per cent higher than the 18.6 million kilograms in the same quarter last year.

PAL Express came in second with a share of 27.4 per cent to the total or 16.1 million kilograms, a 122.6 per cent increment from the comparable period's 7.2million kilograms.

Philippine Airlines, with an 18.8 per cent share, recorded a 43.5 per cent decline in throughput to 11.1 million kilograms from 19.6 million kilograms.

In fourth place was AirAsia Philippines, representing 12.8 per cent or 7.5 million kilograms, a 42.3 per cent improvement from the previous 5.316 million kilograms.

Ranking fifth was boutique airline AirSwift Transport with 1.131 million kilograms, a whopping 591.8 per cent surge from 163,494 kilograms last year.

Leisure airline Seair International Inc reported 560,771 kilograms, down 30.9 per cent from 811,443 kilograms.

Cebgo saw the biggest dip of 70.6 per cent to 401,628 kilograms from 1.366 million kilograms.

Lastly, charter airline Island Aviation handled 80 per cent more air cargo in the first quarter of 2023 with 305,805 kilograms from 169,433 kilograms in the same period last year.