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MANILA, Philippines–Cebu Pacific Air, the country’s biggest budget carrier, started flights from Manila to Riyadh on Wednesday, Oct. 1, expanding its long-haul business.
In a statement on Wednesday, Cebu Pacific said the flights to Riyadh would be held three times a week.
Cebu Pacific’s Manila to Riyadh service will use the airline’s Airbus A330-300 aircraft with a configuration of 436 all-economy class seats.
Passengers may also opt to purchase baggage allowance, seat selection, Cebu Pacific Air Wi-Fi connectivity inflight and meals.
“Cebu Pacific will keep flying to where the Filipinos are. As we expand our operations in the Middle East, we are proud to offer even more Filipinos in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia the fastest, most affordable way to come home,” Alex Reyes, Cebu Pacific Pacific general manager for long haul, said in the statement.
Cebu Pacific’s flights from Manila to Riyadh depart at 5:05 p.m. (Manila time) and arrive in Riyadh at 11:35 p.m. (Riyadh time) every Wednesday, Friday and Sunday.
Flights from Riyadh to Manila depart at 12:45 a.m. (Riyadh time) and arrive in Manila at 3:40 p.m. (Manila time) every Monday, Thursday and Saturday.
Meanwhile, Cebu Pacific will fly non-stop to and from Dammam thrice weekly, starting Oct. 4.
Aside from Dubai, Riyadh, and Kuwait, CEB’s long-haul division also operates direct flights between Manila and Sydney.
Growing the long-haul business is a key part of Cebu Pacific’s strategy.
The airline, which already corners more than half of the domestic market, recently bagged the approval of regulators to mount more international flights, including to Myanmar and New Zealand.
Cebu Pacific, a subsidiary of Gokongwei-led JG Summit Holdings Inc., has a fleet of 51 planes.
This is comprised of 10 Airbus A319, 28 Airbus A320, 5 Airbus A330 and 8 ATR-72 500 aircraft.
Between 2014 and 2021, Cebu Pacific will take delivery of 11 more brand-new Airbus A320, 30 Airbus A321neo and 1 Airbus A330 aircraft, Cebu Pacific said.
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Cebu Pacific to fly to Riyadh starting Oct. 1