MANILA, Philippines — By October, passengers from Cebu will be given more options to fly directly to Bangkok and Masbate following the launch of new routes by budget carrier Cebu Pacific.
In a statement on Wednesday, the Gokongwei-led airline announced it would start operating Cebu-Bangkok flights starting Oct. 2. The Cebu-Masbate route, meanwhile, will commence by Oct. 25.
Both routes will be offered three times weekly. With these two new destinations, Cebu Pacific will have 24 routes being serviced from its Cebu hub.
“This expansion aligns with our mission to provide accessible and affordable air travel for every [passenger]. We are committed to connecting more destinations and offering our passengers more choices for their travel needs,” Cebu Pacific president and chief commercial officer Xander Lao said.
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Last month, the low-cost airline announced the launch of Manila-Kaohsiung flights starting Aug. 16. This will be Cebu Pacific’s second destination in Taiwan, in addition to Taipei.
Cebu Pacific has been ramping up its route network as passenger volume continues to rise. In the first quarter, it flew 5.5 million passengers, up 14 percent from the previous year.
Passenger revenues, as a result, improved by 25 percent to P18 billion. Net profits for the period more than doubled to P2.24 billion.
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Along with this, the carrier is beefing up its fleet. It is expecting delivery of 14 jets as it targets to have a 92-unit fleet by the end of the year.
With a $12-billion shopping budget, Cebu Pacific is also in the process of reviewing proposals from jet manufacturers Airbus and Boeing, aiming to pick one supplier by the first half.
The plan is to acquire 100 to 150 planes, with the first batch expected to arrive as early as 2027 and the rest slated for delivery until 2035.
Cebu Pacific services 35 domestic and 25 international destinations across Asia, Australia, and the Middle East.