MANILA, Philippines – Gokongwei-led Cebu Pacific is increasing its domestic passenger capacity by one-third in 2011 as its new aircraft is delivered, cementing its position as the country’s largest airline.
In a statement, the company said it has been expecting the delivery of three new 180-seater Airbus A320 jets by October 2011. This will allow “the airline to offer the lowest possible fares in the market and mount more domestic flights.”
“This is in line with Cebu Pacific’s continued commitment to promote tourism and economy in the destinations it flies to,” the airline’s vice-president for marketing and distribution Candice Iyog said.
“Foreign and local travelers can book Cebu Pacific’s lowest fares to explore the Philippines’ top beaches and diving sites, and attend the country’s most popular fiestas,” she added.
She said the company has been offering the most flights and the lowest fares to Cebu and Davao, two key cities in the Visayas and Mindanao areas, compared to any other airline.
“Tourists will have faster, easier access to the most extensive route network in the country,” she said.
With these flight increases, Cebu Pacific will also continue to have the most flights to popular tourist destinations such as Boracay, Coron, Dumaguete and Cagayan de Oro.
The airline also plans to increase flight frequencies of flights between Manila and other domestic points such as Butuan, General Santos, Tacloban, Davao, Dumagete, Roxas, Ozamiz and Tuguegarao, among others.
In a previous statement, Cebu Pacific said it flew over 2.8 million passengers in January to March, 12-percent up year on year.
This first quarter result keeps the airline on track in achieving its 12 million-passenger target this 2011. The airline carried close to 10.5 million passengers for the full year 2010.
The growth in passengers drove the growth in the company’s net income to a record P6.92 billion, more than double a year ago despite higher fuel prices, as it recorded a 24.8 percent growth in its gross revenues.