MANILA, Philippines — Low-cost carrier Cebu Pacific will exceed its pre-pandemic capacity and network in Cebu by 29 percent in June, as it turns the region into its largest hub outside Manila.
Cebu Pacific yesterday said it would start offering 28 domestic and international flights to and from Cebu by June, exceeding its operational capacity from the province by 29 percent.
On the domestic end, Cebu Pacific will operate direct flights between Cebu and Naga beginning March 26, enabling travel between the two destinations without having to go through Manila.
On the international side, Cebu Pacific will resume its Cebu to Hong Kong and vice versa flights on March 26 as well. The airline will also restore its direct flights from Cebu to Narita and to Taipei on May 1 and June 23, respectively.
Starting March 26, the Gokongwei-led carrier will increase weekly trips to domestic destinations Butuan, Caticlan, Bacolod, Siargao, Dumaguete, Legazpi, General Santos City and Surigao. The airline will also serve daily flights from Cebu to Incheon.
Likewise, Cebu Pacific will increase its weekly flights from Cebu to Clark and to Puerto Princesa by May 5 to support the rebound of domestic tourism.
Cebu Pacific expects to offer an additional 76,000 seats per month from Cebu through the expansion of flight frequency and network.
To support this, Cebu Pacific will take in five new aircraft, of which two will be deployed to the Mactan-Cebu International Airport (MCIA), on top of the 10 Airbus units it is set to receive this year.
Cebu Pacific chief marketing and customer experience officer Candice Iyog said the increase in Cebu flights and routes would make the province its largest hub outside Manila. She hopes that the expansion would attract travelers to head to tourist attractions in Cebu and Visayas.
“Cebu Pacific is proud to have its largest base outside Manila in one of the best airports in Asia. We are excited to further expand our Cebu hub to connect more travelers to some of the world’s best beaches and islands,” Iyog said.
Growing its Cebu operations bodes well with Cebu Pacific’s target of flying a record 24 million guests this year, confident that the resurgence in travel demand will allow it to breach its all-time high.
At present, Cebu Pacific operates flights to 34 domestic and 25 international destinations across Asia, Australia and the Middle East.
Meanwhile, domestic passenger volume at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) nearly reached its pre-pandemic level in 2022 as Philippine carriers resumed flights to almost all their local routes.
The Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA) said domestic passenger traffic at the NAIA quadrupled to 30.91 million last year, from 7.81 million in 2021.
Likewise, MIAA said domestic flight records almost tripled to 149,115 due to the recovery of aviation activity and the reopening of local routes.
In comparison, domestic passenger volume at the NAIA hit 90 percent of the pre-pandemic level of 22.91 million in 2019, the year the airport saw its highest footprint. In 2022, NAIA posted its largest passenger traffic in the usual peak seasons of March and December, both at 2.13 million.
On the other hand, MIAA said international passenger volume at the NAIA went up five-fold to 10.4 million in 2022, from 2.25 million in 2021. Last year, airlines started restoring their overseas routes, as countries reopened their borders to leisure travel.
Also, MIAA said international flight traffic picked up by 88 percent to 64,202, signaling the return of foreign carriers as well at the Manila airport.
On the contrary, international passenger traffic has a long way to go before touching its pre-crisis level of 24.99 million in 2019.
For one, China – one of the largest sources of visitor arrivals for the Philippines – lifted its travel restrictions just toward the close of 2022, scrapping a hardline policy against COVID infections.
With China’s reopening, airlines look to reinstate their flight network to Chinese cities this year. Flag carrier Philippine Airlines, for instance, plans to resume all of its scheduled services between Manila and China by April.
Gokongwei-led Cebu Pacific has also resumed direct flights to Guangzhou, Shanghai, Shenzhen and Xiamen. Low-cost carrier AirAsia Philippines also did the same for Guangzhou, Macau and Shenzhen, focusing its reopening in China to business districts.
For 2023, MIAA general manager Cesar Chiong believes passenger volume in NAIA will grow, especially as airlines are reporting an increase in forward bookings for the rest of the year.
“We have high hopes and expectations for the year because of the increasing trend not only in the Philippines but in other countries as well,” Chiong said.