Cebu Pacific allowed to fly to Myanmar, New Zealand

FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines–Cebu Pacific Air, the country’s biggest budget carrier, has bagged regulatory approval to fly to new international destinations, including New Zealand and Myanmar.

Cebu Pacific said it was granted seat entitlements to mount added flights to Singapore, Macau and, from Cebu to Hong Kong. The increase was approved in a Civil Aeronautics Board meeting, it said.

“For the new routes such as New Zealand and Myanmar, Cebu Pacific is in the process of reviewing network plans and our options in terms of operations. We will make announcements soon as ready,” Alex Reyes, general manager for Cebu Pacific’s long haul division, said in a text message.

Cebu Pacific was granted seven flights weekly from Manila to New Zealand and 1,260 entitlements from Manila to Singapore, allowing the airline to upgrade its current daily Airbus A320 service to an Airbus A330 service.

In the same meeting, CAB designated Cebu Pacific Air as an official Philippine carrier to New Zealand, Myanmar and Canada.

Cebu Pacific’s opposition to extension of the codeshare agreement between Philippine Airlines (PAL) and Emirates on the Manila-Dubai route which is set to expire in October 2014 was also granted by the CAB.

“We commend the CAB air panel for [its] wisdom in rendering decisions that allow Philippine carriers to expand services in international routes. This ultimately benefits the travelling public,” said Jorenz Tañada, Cebu Pacific Air vice president for corporate affairs.

Cebu Pacific Air is set to launch thrice weekly flights from Manila to Kuwait on Sept. 2, 2014, and four times weekly flights from Manila to Sydney on Sept. 9, 2014.

The carrier’s 50-strong fleet comprises 10 Airbus A319, 28 Airbus A320, 4 Airbus A330 and eight ATR-72-500 aircraft. It claims to be one of the most modern aircraft fleets in the world. Between 2014 and 2021, Cebu Pacific will take delivery of 11 more brand-new Airbus A320, 30 Airbus A321neo, and 2 Airbus A330 aircraft, the statement showed.–Miguel R. Camus