Cebu Pacific maximizing Clark hub as NAIA woes continue

Cebu Pacific Air, the country’s largest budget airline, said it expected to increase its operations in Clark International Airport in Pampanga province by 75 percent amid congestion in Manila.

In a statement Thursday, the airline said new domestic and international routes out of Clark Airport would bring its total number of flights in the Pampanga gateway to 3,711 by the end of 2018. This is equivalent to about 620,500 seats.

In line with the expansion, Cebu Pacific said it would increase the frequency of its flights between Clark and Macau from eight times to 14 times a week.

It had earlier announced plans to add an additional daily flight between Clark and Cebu starting Oct. 28, 2018; on top of two new routes—between its Clark and Davao hubs as well as between Clark and Tagbilaran, Bohol, starting Nov. 9, 2018.

It will also resume direct flights to Caticlan (Boracay) on Oct. 28.

Cebu Pacific also mounts direct flights from Clark to Singapore and Hong Kong.

“We are excited over the opportunities that our Clark hub presents and are looking forward to serving travelers from North and Central Luzon over the coming months. We are committed to being a partner in the overall economic development of the Clark area through the expansion of our route network,” Cebu Pacific spokesperson Paterno Mantaring Jr. said in the statement.

Cebu Pacific has been operating flights out of the Clark International Airport since 2006, with the latter serving as its hub for North and Central Luzon.

Aside from Clark, Cebu Pacific operates flights out of five other hubs in the Philippines: Manila, Kalibo, Iloilo, Cebu, Davao and Cagayan de Oro (Laguindingan).

The carrier has maintained leadership in the domestic market with 37 destinations, 76 routes and over 2,130 weekly flights. As of end-June 2018, Cebu Pacific flew 7.6 million passengers, comprising 73 percent of the 10.4 million passengers flown from January to June 2018.