AirAsia senior leadership changes to drive growth and profitability in the Philippines

Editor -

MANILA, 31 July 2019 – AirAsia has appointed telecommunications executive Ricardo ‘Ricky’ P Isla as its new CEO of AirAsia Philippines.

Mr Isla joins AirAsia after more than a decade of international product development, sales and distribution experience with telecommunications giant PLDT Global Corporation. In addition to his most recent role as Regional Head of Operations for United Kingdom and Europe, Mr Isla has held General Manager positions in its international retail business, as well as in the US, Italy and Singapore.

AirAsia Philippines Chairman Maan Hontiveros said, “I am thrilled to welcome Ricky to our senior leadership team. Ricky has an outstanding track record of leading and transforming businesses, especially when it comes to increasing revenue and market share, customer satisfaction and employee engagement. Together with his telecommunications background and global experience, we are confident he will provide the right foundation to steer AirAsia Philippines to even greater heights.

“I would like to take this opportunity to thank Captain Dexter Comendador for playing such a crucial part of AirAsia’s growth story in the Philippines. The board and I are confident that his love of people and exceptional flying acumen will prove extremely beneficial to our operations, and we look forward to continuing our work with him as AirAsia Philippines Chief Operations Officer.”

AirAsia Deputy Group CEO (Airlines) Bo Lingam said, “Ricky’s appointment as CEO comes at a time when low-cost carrier (LCC) growth in the Philippines hits an all-time high. AirAsia is on the cusp of developing something really special for Filipinos, and I’m confident that under Ricky’s guidance we will be in the best position to up the ante on our mission to further revolutionise affordable air travel in the Philippines.

“I want to thank Captain Dexter for his contribution as CEO, and ongoing dedication to our Allstars in the Philippines.”

Mr Isla graduated from the Ateneo de Manila University with a Bachelor of Science and Business Management and holds advanced management qualifications from the Asian Institute of Management.

Mr Isla commenced his role as CEO of AirAsia Philippines today.

AirAsia Philippines operates a fleet of 24 aircraft on more than 500 weekly domestic and international flights from its hubs in Manila, Clark, Cebu, and Kalibo.