Cebu Pacific saw 33.4% passenger growth in January 2025

Gokongwei-led budget airline Cebu Pacific had a high double-digit growth in the number of passengers carried as of the first month of 2025, amid increased demand during the holiday season.

In a news release Friday, Cebu Pacific said it flew 2.6 million passengers in January 2025, up 33.4% year-on-year.

Seat load factor, which measures how much of an airline's carrying capacity was utilized, improved to 86.5% from 85.1% as seat capacity rose by 31.2% on the back of additional frequencies and routes launched last year.

Cebu Pacific said its domestic passenger traffic alone grew 34.6% during the period amid 37% increase in seats.

The airline said traffic growth was driven by strong demand around the New Year holiday period, supported by additional frequencies and new routes launched throughout 2024.

Cebu Pacific said its domestic network has grown to 84 routes from 68 in the prior year, with 2,912 weekly flights, up 29% from 2,260 weekly flights in the same period prior year.

International passenger traffic, likewise, grew 29.9% year-on-year on 17% higher seats.

The airline said its international network has grown to 40 routes from 36 in the prior year, with 648 weekly flights, up 16% from 561 weekly flights in the same period in the prior year.

"January traffic saw strong passenger demand, fueled by holiday travel and the airline's network and capacity expansion over the past year. Cebu Pacific's network now covers 124 routes, up from 104 in the same period last year," said Alexander Lao, president and chief commercial officer of Cebu Pacific.

"Load factors remained healthy, with international travel demand notably outpacing capacity growth. Throughout this year, we are committed to optimizing our capacity to meet the rising consumer demand along with the need to manage ongoing engine and supply chain issues," said Lao. — VDV, GMA Integrated News