LOW-COST airline Cebu Pacific (CEB) is aiming to restore over 100 percent of its domestic pre-pandemic capacity next month as it increases its frequencies and introduces Airbus 330neo aircraft to bolster its status as the greenest airline in Asia.
Lance Gokongwei, CEB president and chief executive officer (CEO), on Tuesday, March 29, 2022, said the airlines is currently operating 96 percent of its pre-pandemic domestic capacity as restrictions are further rolled back.
As the summer peak approaches, the airline has noted a 200 percent increase in its average daily flights for both domestic and international combined – from about 100 flights per day in 2020, to about 300 at present.
Flights from Manila to key domestic destinations, such as Boracay and Cebu, have exceeded their 2019 flight frequencies.
This week, CEB said it has also restarted its flights to and from the Cebu and Davao hubs. The Cebu-Puerto Princesa route operates thrice weekly while Cebu routes bound for Surigao, Legaspi, Calbayog fly twice weekly. The Davao hub has also restarted its Iloilo and Zamboanga flights thrice weekly.
Gokongwei said it was the resurgence of domestic travel that led to the airline’s incremental growth in capacity.
“We are in a growth mode now,” he said, adding that the airline is now rehiring cabin crews and pilots as growth in domestic travel rebounds.
200 millionth passenger
On Tuesday, CEB also introduced is 200 millionth passenger -- the Cebuano Salbert Galces, who will enjoy unlimited domestic flights for one year. He was on board one of CEB’s 18 times daily Manila-Cebu flights.
“Our 26th year has been made more exceptional this year because today we recognize the 200 millionth passenger. This month also signals that the travel and tourism sectors are well on its way to recovery. We excited to safely fly everyone to their destination,” said Gokongwei.
The airline’s CEO said the past two years have been challenging for the airline industry but they are now reenergized to get back in business in full throttle due the easing of travel restrictions in and out of the Philippines.
Moreover, Gokongwei said the airline is committed to grow its network in a sustainable manner with its Airbus 330neo’s 459-seater airline.
“This makes Cebu Pacific the greenest airline in Asia,” he said. “We are proud of our new Airbus 330 fleet because aside from it being environmentally friendly we get to showcase Cebu and the colors of the island with our new cabin interior,” he said.
Gokongwei flew in to Cebu Tuesday on board CEB’s new Airbus 330neo.
Accelerate recovery
On the other hand, Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade lauded CEB’s commitment in helping the country restore travel and tourism amid its continued operation in a challenging business environment.
Tugade believes that the revival of domestic tourism will fuel the recovery of the tourism sector. He urged airline operators to take advantage of the growing gateways in the country to grow their businesses.
Gokongwei said CEB’s intention is to accelerate the recovery of domestic travel and tourism by adding more frequencies and supporting its short-haul routes.
“We noticed a slow down during the Omicron variant spread but since then, especially the lifting of travel restrictions, we saw spectacular return of travelers towards summer,” he said.
Recovery for international flights may come in later, according to Gokongwei, due to the varying travel requirements but he noted that airline operators are anticipating the reopening of borders for markets like South Korea, China, Hong Kong, Sydney (Australia) and Thailand, among others.
As for its A330neo fleet, Alexander Lao, CEB’s chief strategy officer, said seven A330neos are scheduled for delivery this year. Currently, CEB already has 16 A330neos and it targets to achieve a full A330neo fleet by 2027.