Cebu Pacific eyes more China destinations

MANILA, Philippines — Cebu Pacific intends to capitalize on the continuing good relations between the Philippines and China as it looks to expand to more destinations in the world’s second largest economy.

Cebu Pacific president and CEO Lance Gokongwei said yesterday the company is adding 10 aircraft next year which would primarily serve international markets.

He said more routes to North Asia are being planned, including secondary cities in China such as Chengdu and Xi’an.

“There’s really a lot of interest in North Asia especially China to connect to the Philippines. There’s going to be large opportunities to connect the secondary cities in China outside Beijing, Guangzhou, and Shanghai. To start connecting Chengdu’s and Xi’an to our destinations,” Gokongwei said.

Gokongwei said the new flights may not necessarily be to and from Manila.

“I think Manila is getting a little bit congested so we are going to be adding significant capacity to Clark, to Cebu, and to other destinations. Panglao (airport) also, we’re looking forward to that,” he said.

Cebu Pacific currently flies direct to Beijing from Manila, and also has direct flights to Shanghai, Guangzhou, and Xiamen from Manila.

Meanwhile, the company yesterday announced plans to replace non-recyclable plastic spoons, forks, stirrers and cups for inflight meals and refreshments with sustainable alternatives on all its domestic and international flights starting October 1, 2018 as part of initiatives to push for sustainability.

The carrier also launched a sustainable tourism program in partnership with the Department of Tourism called “Juan Effect.” The program aims to engage travelers and local stakeholders in mitigating the impact of tourist arrivals on the environment.

On the average, Cebu Pacific mounts about 400 flights daily across 37 domestic and 26 international destinations, resulting in the use of approximately 18,500 pieces of plastic spoons, forks, cups, and stirrers in a day.

“As we continue to help pump-prime local economies through accessible, affordable and available flights, we are also committed to reducing our impact on the environment. We want to cut down on our use of non-recyclable plastic to only what is necessary,” Gokongwei said.