MANILA, Philippines – Following the Department of Transportation’s (DOTr) order for its takedown due to alleged “unreasonably high” ticket prices, online airline booking platform AirAsia Move (MOVE) has issued a statement affirming its “full cooperation with the Philippine government” and clarifying the fare discrepancies.

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In a media statement released Monday, June 2, MOVE CEO Nadia Omer stated that the company “does not manually set or manipulate airfares.” Instead, she explained, as an Online Travel Agency (OTA), MOVE displays flight inventory and pricing data provided by its “authorized upstream suppliers, including third-party aggregators and Global Distribution Systems (GDS).”

Omer attributed the “discrepancies in fare displays for certain routes,” including domestic flights operated by Philippine Airlines, to “temporary data synchronization issues with flight pricing partners.” She noted that this technical issue, caused by a third-party provider, was not isolated to MOVE but also “affected other booking platforms across the industry, including Agoda, Kiwi.com, and Traveloka.”

MOVE asserted that upon identifying the issue, it “took immediate steps and brought up the matter with the third-party pricing provider for immediate resolution,” and has “further enhanced safeguards to prevent any future recurrence.”

The Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB) had already issued an Immediate Cease and Desist Order to AirAsia Move on May 26 for the “unauthorized sale of airline tickets.” The order explicitly stated: “You are hereby ordered to cease and desist from offering, promoting, or selling tickets of other Philippine carriers at prices that exceed the approved fare structures established by CAB.”

Transportation Secretary Vince Dizon had earlier announced the DOTr’s order for the platform’s takedown and its intent to file economic sabotage charges against AirAsia Move. Dizon highlighted an instance where a Philippine Airlines ticket from Tacloban to Manila was listed for as much as P77,720 on AirAsia Move, while direct booking showed the same ticket costing no more than P12,600. He linked the alleged overcharging to a transportation crisis in Leyte and Samar due to the San Juanico Bridge closure.

Despite MOVE’s claim of being a foreign-based OTA not directly under CAB’s jurisdiction, CAB Executive Director Carmelo Arcilla clarified that ticket pricing falls within the board’s mandate, which authorizes it to impose price ceilings. Dizon also requested the Philippine National Police Anti-Cybercrime Group to take down the website “within the boundaries of the Philippines, within Philippine IPs.”

MOVE reiterated that it is “fully compliant with all regulatory requirements applicable to Online Travel Agencies (OTAs) operating in the Philippines” and “welcomes the opportunity to proactively engage with relevant authorities to provide clarity on the issue and asks for due process to take its course.” The company also emphasized its support for the Philippines’ tourism agenda, noting strong growth in travel bookings, particularly to domestic destinations.