The Cebu Pacific Air launched its first commercial flights between Manila and Shenzhen.
The inaugural flight left the Ninoy Aquino International Airport at 11:35 p.m. on July 1 while the return flight from Shenzhen left at 3:05 am on July 2.
CEB will fly four-times-weekly between Manila and Shenzhen—a special economic zone and one of the world’s fast-rising innovation and technology hubs.
During the maiden flight from Manila, the first passenger who checked-in, Liao Haoshen, was awarded a special token from the carrier, represented by its Corporate Communications director, Charo Logarta Lagamon.
Shenzhen is the airline’s fifth destination in mainland China after Shanghai, Beijing, Guangzhou and Xiamen. CEB also flies to Hong Kong, Macau and Taipei.
Shenzhen is also the airline’s 27th international destination.
The CEB management stated it is looking to expand in North Asia, including opening significant new routes and possible new destinations in China.
Flights between Manila and Shenzhen will run four times weekly—Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday. At only two hours and 40 minutes’ flying time, the evening departure of the flights will enable travelers to make full use of business hours, both in Manila and in Shenzhen.
Shenzhen, located in Guangdong Province, is part of the booming Pearl River Delta megalopolis. Shenzhen has a continuous development of rail and road links to other cities within the region, including a branch road that connects to the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge.
As China’s first special economic zone, Shenzhen is an important city for sourcing of goods for those engaged in trade. Boasting of shopping complexes, it is also a retail mecca for bargain hunters. Dubbed as “China’s Silicon Valley,” Shenzhen is one of China’s leading innovation and technology hubs, serving as headquarters for tech giants such as Huawei, BGI, BYD and Tencent.
“We want to provide our travelers a viable option to reach some of the globe’s most crucial commercial centers today. Our new direct service between Manila and Shenzhen will enable faster movement of people and products providing increased mobility and access to some of the fastest-growing economies in the world,” said Candice Iyog, CEB vice president for marketing and distribution.
