BUDGET airline Cebu Pacific Air (CEB), which flew its 100 millionth passenger early this year, reported higher passenger volume in the first quarter.
The airline carried a total of 4.3 million passengers from January to March, 13 percent higher than the 3.8 million passengers flown in the first quarter of last year, marketing communications manager Michelle Eve de Guzman said in a media briefing yesterday.
In Cebu, passenger growth was reported at 9.6 percent as of March, de Guzman added. The Cebu hub is the airline’s second biggest in the country, with 22 domestic flights and 5 international flights.
De Guzman said the airline flew its 100 millionth passenger in a Cebu-Manila flight in late January.
Cebu Pacific also launched in the first quarter the Cebu-Tokyo service while wholly-owned subsidiary Cebgo, formerly Tigerair Philippines, launched the Cebu-Puerto Princesa flight.
Also launched in the first quarter were Kalibo-Hong Kong by Cebu Pacific and Manila-Legazpi by Cebgo.
The airline is also set to mount flights to the US, via Guam and Hawaii, within this year, said corporate communications manager MP Pestaño.
“We’re just waiting for the regulatory approvals,” she said.
The Philippines was granted in April last year a Category 1 rating by the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), indicating that Philippine carriers can add flights and service to the US and carry the code of US carriers.
A Category 1 rating means the country has complied with international safety standards set by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO).
Last month, Cebu Pacific became the only Philippine carrier flying between Manila and Doha with the launch of twice-weekly Manila-Doha direct flights.
The airline has a 55-strong fleet and expects delivery between this year and 2021 of 7 more brand-new Airbus A320 and 30 Airbus A321neo aircraft.
Cebu Pacific and Cebgo reported a net income of P2.2 billion in the first quarter of this year. Revenues increased 20.7 percent to P14.2 billion year-on-year.
Passenger revenues increased by 22.2% to P10.8 billion while cargo revenues went up by 13.6 percent to P772.5 million.