CEB to increase inter-island flight frequency in major hubs

CEBU, Philippines - To help keep the momentum of domestic tourism growth in the Philippines, Cebu Pacific Air recently announced its plans to increase inter-island frequency to its major hubs.

Cebu Pacific (CEB) corporate communications manager Don Romulo Gregorio Orense said flights from Cebu, Davao, Clark and Manila will be expanded starting December 5.

Orense said this move is in anticipation of the growth of travel within the country, boosted by the active interest among locals as well as international tourists to travel to other destinations in the Philippines.

He added that the Cebu-Puerto Princesa flight frequency will be made daily, from three times a week. He said there is a strong demand for additional frequency between these two tourism destinations.

For her part, Puerto Princesa, Palawan, City Tourism Officer Rebecca V. Labit welcomed the development saying the increased flight frequency from Cebu to Puerto Princesa and vice-versa will be instrumental for Palawan to hit the target tourism arrival of 500 thousand this year, from 268 thousand registered last year.

The Cebu-Manila route on the other hand, will also be increased from 10 flight schedules daily to 12, in time of the peak season in December towards the start of the year in January and onwards.

Orense said that inter-island traveling in the Philippines have been growing significantly, thus the Gokongwei-controlled airline is further strengthening its position in providing affordable airline fares to most if not all Filipinos, giving opportunity to majority of Filipinos to travel around the country.

With the delivery of four Airbus A320 aircraft units within the period of October this year, and January 2011, this planned expansion of flight frequency is seen to further improve the domestic tourism industry in the country, as well as inter-island travel.

“We will be assigning our brand new aircrafts in our major hubs to increase flight frequency to other domestic destinations. This is because of the anticipated growth in inter-island travel,” Orense said reiterating that domestic travel has not been affected by any external and internal interventions happening lately.

In fact, early this year, CEB opened the Cebu-Pagadian and the Davao-Cagayan De Oro flights.

About 25 percent or a total of 80 flights a day fly in and out of Cebu daily. Orense said the company is planning to increase the number of flights from Cebu to other destinations in the country, as well as looking at opening other missionary routes from Cebu.

A total of 24 aircrafts are purchased by Cebu Pacific in a move to increase flight frequency and encourage travel and tourism at a lower cost.

CEB took delivery of its 22nd brand-new Airbus aircraft from Toulouse, France. This is the first of 22 more brand-new Airbus aircraft deliveries until 2014. It joins the Philippines’ youngest aircraft fleet, now composed of 10 Airbus A319, 12 Airbus A320 and 8 ATR 72-500 aircraft. It has an average fleet age of 3.21 years.

CEB’s brand-new Airbus A320 is equipped with the latest avionics from Thales and Rockwell Collins, both global leaders in aviation electronics. The aircraft will be based in Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 3 to support flight increases and network expansion.