CEB plans to fly to US, Europe

Cebu Pacific Air, the country’s biggest budget airline, is considering flying to Europe and the United States, including destinations outside the mainland including Guam and Hawaii, should it obtain the necessary regulatory approvals, its top official said Thursday.

Lance Gokongwei, CEO of Cebu Air Inc., told reporters that the airline planned to make an application to the European Union to fly to the continent in November.

The airline deferred this plan early this year after a landing mishap in Davao International Airport on June 2, the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines said. On July 12, the European Union removed the Philippines from the so-called blacklist after three years and allowed flag carrier Philippine Airlines to restart flights to locations within the 28-member bloc.

Gokongwei said Thursday he believed that Cebu Pacific was already compliant with the required air safety standards.

“In November, we are going to make a formal presentation to EU authorities and we are likewise working toward a certification to be able to fly to Europe,” Gokongwei said at the sidelines of a ceremony for its second Airbus A330, a plane capable of long-haul flights.

“We believe that we operate a robust safety system in our airline and we have complied with the various CAAP (Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines) recommendations particularly with regards to improving our pilot training,” he added. “In addition we brought in experts from Airbus to make an independent review of our flight operations systems.”

The EU Air Safety Committee convenes twice a year. The second meeting is scheduled on Nov.  29, EU ambassador to the Philippines Guy Ledoux said in July.

Gokongwei said a decision could be ready within three to four weeks after they make their presentation.

Flights to the United States, meanwhile, would be possible once the Federal Aviation Administration grants the Philippines category 1 status from the current category 2. CAAP officials said an upgrade was likely within the year, or as early as next month.

Based on its current fleet, Gokongwei said Cebu Pacific might consider certain routes like Guam, which could be reached by its Airbus A320, and Hawaii, accessible by its A330s.

Long-haul destinations are forming a larger part of the company’s strategy, which has, for many years, focused on the regional market. This is indicated by recent aircraft deals— two long-range A330s so far, with four more to be leased in the coming years.

The airline, which has a fleet of 47 aircraft, mainly medium-range Airbus A320s and A319s, remains poised for growth, Gokongwei told reporters.

He said passenger volume and revenues continue to grow however yields were being challenged.

Cebu Pacific is starting its inaugural Manila-Dubai flights on Oct. 7, with passenger rates expected to be 35 percent lower than competing carriers, the company said on Thursday.

It is also keen on expanding its Japan operations as Cebu Pacific pushes for a more liberalized air service agreement with the North Asian neighbor, Gokongwei said.

The Civil Aeronautics Board is in talks with its counterpart in Tokyo with the aim of forging a new air deal that could result in increased flights between the two countries.

Gokongwei, who noted that Cebu Pacific flies to Osaka, would like to increase frequencies there and mount flights to Tokyo and Nagoya.