Cebu Pacific carried 2.1 million passengers in August, down 0.4 percent from a year earlier, though international traffic rose sharply, the airline said.
The budget carrier reported a seat load factor of 83.7 percent for the month, up from 81.3 percent a year ago, as overall seat capacity fell 3.2 percent.
Domestic passenger traffic dropped 4.4 percent compared to August 2024, reflecting a 10.7 percent cut in seat capacity. Domestic seat load factor, however, climbed 5.7 percentage points to 87.6 percent.
Meanwhile, international traffic rose 13.3 percent year-on-year, supported by a 21.4 percent increase in seat capacity. Seat load factor on international routes declined 5.3 points to 74.2 percent.
For the first eight months of 2025, Cebu Pacific carried 18.1 million passengers, up 15.2 percent from 15.7 million in the same period last year. Domestic traffic grew 14 percent to 13.5 million, while international traffic rose 18.8 percent to 4.6 million. Average seat load factor was 85.2 percent, with overall capacity increasing 15.1 percent to 21.3 million seats.
Chief executive officer Mike Szucs said the August dip reflected the lean travel season and adjustments in domestic capacity due to aircraft maintenance and engine removals. He added that the airline expects traffic to rebound in the fourth quarter as the holiday peak season begins and more aircraft become available.
Cebu Pacific, the Philippines’ leading airline, entered the aviation industry in March 1996 and pioneered the low-cost carrier model in the country with its “low fare, great value” strategy. Since its launch, it has flown more than 250 million passengers.
The airline operates one of the youngest fleets in the world with 99 aircraft and offers the widest network coverage in the Philippines, serving 37 domestic and 26 international destinations.
