Cebu Pacific adds flights to key destinations

Budget carrier Cebu Pacific has added more frequencies to several key flights to cope with the spike in demand during the holidays.

In a statement, the Gokongwei-led carrier said it would increase the number of daily flights between Manila and Hong Kong starting this week up to Jan. 3 next year, noting that the Chinese city had become one of the most preferred tourist destinations of Filipino travellers.

This brings the number of flights between Manila and Hong Kong to five a day, the airline said.

The company also added flights to Kalibo, Aklan, from Manila and to Caticlan from Cebu “to accommodate the influx of visitors to the island paradise of Boracay, one of Asia’s top beaches.”

One daily trip each was also added to flights between Cebu and Davao, Davao and Iloilo, Manila and Cebu, Manila and Davao, Manila and Tacloban, and Manila and Dumagete.

As it prepared for the busiest time of the year, the airline also issued a reminder to passengers to prepare to deal with tighter airport security and longer cues as more Filipinos travel.

The airline said its latest internal figures showed that December 2011 bookings increased by 23 percent, driven by a 27-percent growth in international sales.

“We added flights so more local and foreign passengers can take advantage of the holiday season and our low fares,” Iyog said.

Cebu Pacific is the largest airline in the Philippines based on passenger numbers.