Airline to hit 129% pre-pandemic capacity with combined 28 domestic, international routes to operate from Cebu
Twenty-seven years ago, Cebu Pacific took its first flight here in Cebu, it was March 8. Last year, we were also at the Mactan International Airport where we celebrated our 200 millionth passenger, that was March,” said the ecstatic Candice Iyog, Cebu Pacific Chief Marketing and Customer Experience Officer, while talking to the guests of the airline who flew from Manila and other parts of the country to join in the celebration of the airline’s unprecedented milestones.
“The event was like a relaunch, coming back out of the pandemic in announcing almost the end of the pandemic and the start of the rebirth of the industry,” she carried on banking on the renewed interest of the public to travel again.
The country’s leading carrier is set to exceed its Cebu hub’s pre-pandemic network and capacity which will hit 129 percent in June, as the airline raises to 28 its combined domestic and international routes operating in Mactan-Cebu International Airport (MCIA).
CEB will start operating direct flights between Cebu and Taipei daily starting June 23, increasing its network from MCIA to a total of 23 domestic and 5 international destinations. CEB will also ramp up its flight frequencies to 11 of its destinations from Cebu.
In an event held at Nustar Resort and Casino in Cebu on Sunday night, Cebu Pacific Marketing Michelle de Guzman mentioned that the year 2023 is “the year of growth.”
“We will hit our pre-pandemic capacity by the summer of this year as we fly back to our international destinations such as China and Melbourne this month. Last month, we announced the restart of our Clark hub with 15 domestic and international routes. That’s more boosting of the economy in North and Central Luzon,” De Guzman announced.
“We have also renewed our partnership with the Singapore Tourism Board. In Singapore, we now fly four routes between the Philippines and Singapore. We have a lot of good stories of growth and expansion and we’re not done yet. And this growth of Cebu Pacific –with the delivery of 15 new aircraft this year – means more destinations and flights for everyone,” she went on.
The new and resumed flights from Cebu as well as the additional frequencies are expected to increase the total number of seats by 21 percent, equivalent to 76,000 more seats per month.
To support this expansion, CEB will increase its Cebu hub’s fleet to 13, with 2 additional aircraft to be based at MCIA. The added aircraft are on top of the 10 new Airbus NEO aircraft that will be delivered in 2023 to expand the airline’s entire fleet.af
The airline previously announced that it would operate direct flights from Cebu to Naga starting March 26 and resume flights to Hong Kong and Narita from Cebu on March 26 and May 1, respectively.
“Cebu Pacific is proud to have its largest base outside Manila in one of the best airports in Asia. We are excited to further expand our Cebu hub to connect more travelers to some of the world’s best beaches and islands,” said Candice Iyog.
To encourage passengers to travel, CEB is launching a special seat sale from March 20 to 23, allowing travelers from Visayas and Mindanao to book their flights to select domestic and international destinations for as low as P1 one-way base fare, exclusive of fees and surcharges. The travel period is from June 1 to September 30.
The expansion of the CEB’s hubs in Clark and Cebu comes as the airline turns 27 years old this March. The airline celebrated the milestone by holding a special anniversary gathering at NUSTAR Resort and Casino in Cebu City.
CEB flew its maiden voyage from Manila to Cebu on March 8, 1996. Since then, the airline has made it its mission to enable every Juan to fly by offering affordable and accessible flights and continuously ramping up its network.
CEB currently flies to 34 domestic and 25 international destinations, spanning across Asia, Australia, and the Middle East. Book your flights now via cebupacificair.com.
