Cebu Pacific to start direct flights from Manila to Melbourne in August

Budget carrier Cebu Pacific on Tuesday said it is set to fly directly from Manila to Melbourne in Australia starting next month.

In an emailed statement, CebPac said it will start its thrice-a-week Manila-Melbourne flights—its second destination in Australia—on August 14, 2018.

"Bookings for our Manila-Melbourne-Manila service are healthy. The bookings comprise of travelers who want to visit Melbourne and Filipino-Australians who want to visit friends and relatives in various parts of the Philippines," said Candice Iyos, vice president for marketing at Cebu Pacific.

Pacific fares between the two destinations currently start from P9,539 and are seen to boost Cebu Pacific's market share in Australia.

"The sustained growth of trade between the Philippines and Australia continues to fuel the demand for cargo space," said Cebu Pacific vice president for cargo Alex Reyes.

"As we enhance our freight capabilities in the Philippines while offering low-cost and efficient transport of time-sensitive goods, we hope that this would entice more exports of Filipino products into Australia," Reyes added. —KG, GMA News