Cebu Pacific, a low-cost carrier led by the Gokongwei family, reported a slight increase in passenger traffic in July, a traditionally lean period for the airline industry.
The airline said it carried 2.1 million passengers, a 0.3 percent increase compared to the previous year. Despite a 4 percent increase in capacity, the seat load factor (SLF), a measure of how full the planes were, dropped to 85.6 percent from 88.8 percent in July 2024.
Domestic passenger numbers fell 1.1 percent to 1.58 million, down from 1.6 million in July 2024. This occurred despite a 0.5 percent increase in seats, with a domestic SLF of 89.3 percent.
Meanwhile, international passenger traffic grew by 4.6 percent to 531,000 in July from 507,000 during the same period last year. Its load factor, however, dropped by 7 percentage points to 76.2 percent.
For the first seven months of 2025, Cebu Pacific passengers grew to 16 million, a 17.6 percent increase from 13.6 million in 2024. Domestic passengers grew 17 percent to 11.9 million, while international passengers grew 19.6 percent to 4.1 million. The average SLF was 85.4 percent, and overall capacity grew 18.2 percent to 18.8 million seats.
“Seasonality remains a key factor in the airline industry. While the earlier start of the academic year has brought forward the lean period this July, passenger traffic has stayed resilient,” said Xander Lao, Cebu Pacific president and chief commercial officer.
“As we enter the third quarter, growth will naturally moderate to align with seasonal demand and manage capacity. This deliberate approach allows us to maintain fleet flexibility and positions us to capture the higher demand and growth we expect in the fourth quarter,” he said.
Cebu Pacific entered the aviation industry in March 1996 and pioneered the “low fare, great value” strategy. Since its inception, it has flown over 250 million passengers. The airline offers the widest network coverage in the Philippines with 37 domestic and 26 international destinations. It operates one of the world’s youngest fleets, with 100 aircraft.
