Cebu Pacific trips from Mactan-Cebu International Airport up 34.7% in January

Budget carrier Cebu Pacific on Monday reported a 51.6% year-on-year increase in seat capacity in its flights to and from Mactan-Cebu International Airport (MCIA) in January, following the double-digit growth in its trips from the gateway during the month.

According to Cebu Pacific, it saw a 34.7% increase in its flights to and from Cebu in January to 4,824, bringing its seat capacity up 51.6% to over 717,000 seats for the month.

This comes as the carrier flew over 5.6 million passengers to and from Cebu in 2024, accounting for nearly 50% of the 11.3-million total passenger traffic for the year.

“Cebu Pacific’s continued growth in Cebu reflects the strong demand for affordable and accessible air travel in Central Visayas,” president and chief commercial officer Xander Lao said in an emailed statement.

“By increasing our flights and seat capacity, we are not only connecting more passengers but also supporting tourism, trade, and economic opportunities across the region,” he added.

Cebu Pacific currently offers direct flights from 24 domestic destinations from the MCIA including Bacolod, Boracay (Caticlan), Butuan, Cagayan de Oro, Calbayog, Camiguin, Clark, Coron (Busuanga), Legazpi (Daraga), Davao, Dipolog, Dumaguete, and General Santos.

It also operates flights from MCIA to Iloilo, Manila, Masbate, Ozamic, Pagadian, Puerto Princesa, San Vicente, Siargao, Surigao, Tacloban, and Zamboanga.

The carrier’s international flights from MCIA include destinations such as Bangkok (Don Mueang), Hong Kong, Incheon, Tokyo (Narita), Osaka (Kansai), and Singapore.

Cebu Pacific last July announced plans to purchase over 150 aircraft from Airbus for $24 billion or P1.4 trillion, making the biggest aircraft order in Philippine aviation history.

The company earlier said it expected to close 2024 with 95 aircraft, which will boost its full-year 2024 seat capacity by 12% to 15% compared with 2023. —KG, GMA Integrated News