More flights, seat sale drive Cebu Pacific's Q1 passenger traffic to 3.53M

Cebu Air Inc., operator of budget airline Cebu Pacific, on Friday said passengers increased by 5 percent to 3.53 million in the first quarter of the year, helped by additional flights and seat sale promos. Airline data released by the company showed Cebu Pacific serviced 160,000 more passengers from 3.37 million in the first three months of 2012. Candice Iyog, vice president for marketing and distribution, noted the number of international passengers increased, particularly from Brunei (+43 percent) followed by South Korea (+34 percent), Malaysia (+18 percent), China (+15 percent), and Indonesia (+13 percent). On the domestic front, passengers from Iloilo increased by 29 percent, Kalibo by 22 percent, Davao by 20 percent, and Zamboanga by 17 percent, airline official executive said. “Cebu Pacific continues to link islands and countries, and provide lowest fare options so everyone can travel by air,” said. “Passenger growths in countries such as Korea and China, as well as regions like Iloilo and Davao, are particularly fulfilling. We remain focused on driving tourism to and within the Philippines in 2013,” Iyog added. The airline said it extensive route network helped expand travel between Visayas and Mindanao by 13 percent, and by 45 percent within Mindanao. For the whole of 2012, the airline registered an 11 percent growth in passenger volume to 13.26 million from 11.93 million in 2011. — VS, GMA News