The
Philippines’ leading airline, Cebu Pacific (PSE: CEB), flew 18.4 million
passengers in 2015, an increase of 9% from 16.9 million passengers flown in
2014. On average, CEB flights were 83% full during the year.
Growth
in passenger volume was largely driven by the airline’s low-cost long-haul
services, and increased frequencies in key domestic markets. CEB also posted
notable passenger growth in international destinations such as Hong Kong, Tokyo
(Narita) and Nagoya in Japan, and Beijing and Shanghai in China.
“Last
January 3, 2016, the Cebu Pacific Air group carried a total of 62,947
passengers—the highest number of travellers we have ever flown in one day. This
scalable growth in our key domestic and international markets reflects our
commitment in driving trade and tourism in the countries we operate in, and
enabling more travellers to connect with families and friends around the
globe,” said Atty. JR Mantaring, CEB VP for Corporate Affairs.
Passengers
flown on CEB’s long-haul routes grew by 146% year-on-year, on the back of
increased presence in Australia and the Middle East.
CEB
carried over 150,000 passengers between Manila and Sydney for full-year 2015.
Based on the latest report from Australia’s Bureau of Infrastructure, Transport
and Regional Economics (BITRE), the airline remains the largest carrier on the
Manila – Sydney route, with 40% market share from November 2014 to October
2015. During this period, overall traffic between Manila and Sydney also grew
by 69%.
Meanwhile,
passenger growth on flights to and from the Middle East remained robust, driven
by sustained capacity between Manila and Riyadh, Kuwait, and Dubai, and the
launch of Manila – Doha in June 2015. Among the Middle East routes, flights
between Manila and Dubai posted the highest number of passengers, with over
230,000 guests flown in 2015.
Passengers
flown to short haul international destinations such as Hong Kong, Japan and
China also increased. Passenger volume to and from Japan, in particular, grew
by 39% to over 280,000 in 2015 as CEB successfully stimulated traffic with the
launch of its operations from Manila and Cebu to Tokyo (Narita), and Manila to
Nagoya. The airline also mounted flights between Manila and Fukuoka, its fourth
destination in Japan, in December 2015.
In the
Philippines, domestic passengers increased by 7.41% in 2015, following added
frequencies between Manila and Tagbilaran (Bohol), and Cebu and Tandag (Surigao
del Sur). Both routes posted over 100% in passenger growth year-on-year.
CEB
offers flights to a network of over 90 routes on 64 destinations, spanning
Asia, Australia, and the Middle East. It is slated to launch direct flights
between Manila and Guam, its first US destination, on March 15, 2016.
For
bookings and inquiries, guests can visit www.cebupacificair.com or
call (+632)7020-888 or (+6332)230-8888. The latest seat sales can be found
on CEB’s official Facebook and Twitter pages. Guests may also download
the Cebu Pacific official mobile app on the App Store and Google Play.
Cebu
Pacific’s 57-strong fleet is comprised of 8 Airbus A319, 35 Airbus A320, 6
Airbus A330, and 8 ATR 72-500 aircraft. It is one of the most modern aircraft
fleets in the world. Between 2016 and 2021, CEB expects delivery of three more
brand-new Airbus A320, 30 Airbus A321neo, and 16 ATR 72-600 aircraft.
Comments
Post a Comment