Budget carrier Cebu Pacific announced a seat sale for the newly-opened direct route to Sapporo, Japan (New Chitose).
Cebu Pacific said travelers may book flights from Manila to Sapporo for as low as P1,488 one-way base fare, exclusive of fees and surcharges from Nov. 13 to 19, 2024. The travel period is from Jan. 16 to March 29, 2025.
The company said that as the promo covers the best time to visit Sapporo, travelers could look forward to participating in all sorts of winter activities–from skiing and snowboarding at the Teine Ski Resort to sledding and building snowmen at the Takino Suzuran Hillside Park.
Travelers could also experience the charm of the famous Sapporo Snow Festival, where the city comes alive with snow and ice sculptures illuminated at night.
Cebu Pacific said it would operate flights between Manila and Sapporo three times weekly – every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday beginning Jan. 16, 2025.
It will be the only airline to offer direct flights between these two cities.
Cebu Air Inc., operator of Cebu Pacific, posted a net income of P3.4 billion in the first nine months of 2024, 33 percent lower than last year.
The Gokongwei-led airline posted a total revenue of P74.5 billion for the nine months ending September 2024, an 11 percent increase compared to the same period last year.
This growth was driven by 17.5 million passengers flown, a 13 percent increase year on year, generating an average seat load factor of 84.9 percent.
Cebu Pacific posted a net loss of P173 million in the third quarter from P1.3 billion net income in the same period last year.
The airline posted P23.1 billion revenues in the third quarter, one percent lower year on year, due to seasonality shift driven by the earlier start of the K-12 academic year.
The airline flew over six million passengers for the quarter, a 14 percent increase year on year, but with stimulation efforts through lower average fares.
Passenger fares averaged P2,577 per passenger, 15 percent lower year on year.
Coupled with margin pressure from additional fleet and financing expenses, Cebu Pacific’s operating income for the quarter declined to P202 million from P2.4 billion,
Cebu Pacific deployed its new aircraft deliveries to expand its regional hubs in Cebu, Clark, Davao and Iloilo, and to upgauge to bigger aircraft in Manila.
It also recently acquired AirSWIFT, growing its turboprop fleet, and bringing El Nido, one of the Philippines most popular leisure destinations, into its network.
“CEB has a unique opportunity to grow when others cannot. So, despite the short-term impact to margin development, we will be growing rapidly, creating a robust network across the Philippines to expand and strengthen our market presence,” Cebu Pacific chief finance officer Mark Cezar said.
“We expect to reach a domestic market share of nearly 60 percent in the fourth quarter from 52 percent before the pandemic. Airport and aircraft investments open a significant market potential for CEB, and these initiatives allow us to take advantage, as well as contribute to the overall Philippine growth story,” he said.
