BUDGET carrier Cebu Pacific (CEB) reported a strong performance in May 2025, flying 2.4 million passengers, up 21.7 percent from the same month last year.
In a disclosure to the Philippine Stock Exchange on Friday, June 13, the airline’s seat load factor (SLF) inched up to 86.4 percent from 86.2 percent, while seat capacity increased by 21.3 percent, indicating that demand continued to keep pace with CEB’s growing network.
Domestic operations remained a key growth driver, with local passenger traffic rising 19.9 percent year-on-year, supported by a 19.7 percent increase in seat capacity. The domestic SLF reached 91 percent, underscoring robust demand in the Philippine market.
International traffic also saw significant momentum, growing 27.5 percent compared to May 2024. Seat capacity on international routes increased by 25.7 percent, with the SLF climbing by one percentage point to 75 percent.
For the first five months of 2025, CEB carried 11.7 million passengers, a 23.7 percent jump from 9.4 million during the same period last year. Domestic passenger numbers reached 8.7 million, up 23.2 percent, while international passenger volume rose 24.9 percent to three million. SLF averaged 85 percent across the network, with seat capacity expanding by 23.1 percent to 13.7 million.
“Passenger traffic continued to see high year-on-year growth through the first five months of 2025,” said Mike Szucs, chief executive officer of Cebu Pacific. “Seat load factor is tracking ahead of last year, reflecting robust air travel as additional capacity continues to be absorbed by demand. We remain focused on aligning capacity to meet this demand while continuing to manage the engine and supply chain challenges affecting the industry.”
Cebu Pacific’s continued expansion comes amid a global rebound in air travel and the airline’s ongoing efforts to optimize capacity across its network. / KOC