Cebu Pacific flew 16M passengers as of end-July, up 17.6%
The seasonal spike in flight activity, combined with the early opening of the academic year, lifted Gokongwei-led Cebu Pacific Air’s passenger count to 16 million passengers in the seven months ending July, up 17.6 percent from the same period last year.
In a disclosure on Friday, the listed budget carrier said it carried 2.1 million passengers in July alone, marking a slight increase.
Cebu Pacific said its domestic passenger count increased by 17 percent to 11.9 million during the seven months, while international passengers grew by 19.6 percent to 4.1 million.
The company’s seat load factor, which measures the percentage of available seating occupied by paying passengers, averaged 85.4 percent, reflecting a minimal reduction.
Meanwhile, its overall capacity in seats climbed by 18.2 percent to 18.8 million.
“Seasonality remains a key factor in the airline industry. While the earlier start of the academic year has brought forward the lean period this July, passenger traffic has stayed resilient,” Cebu Pacific president and chief commercial officer Xander Lao said.
“As we enter the third quarter, growth will naturally moderate to align with seasonal demand and manage capacity. This deliberate approach allows us to maintain fleet flexibility and positions us to capture the higher demand and growth we expect in the fourth quarter,” added Lao.
At present, Cebu Pacific has a network coverage consisting of 37 domestic and 26 international destinations across Asia, Australia and the United Arab Emirates. It runs one of the world’s youngest fleets with 100 aircraft.
Since venturing into the aviation industry in March 1996, the low-cost carrier has flown more than 250 million passengers.
Cebu Pacific had reported its first-semester net income soared 153 percent to P8.97 billion, while revenue stood at P63.3 billion, rising by 23 percent.
The firm attributed its better financial performance to “robust passenger growth, improved operational efficiency and disciplined cost management.”
The budget carrier recently announced more flights to key local routes in anticipation of a travel surge during the holiday season.
