CLARK FREEPORT—The Philippines’s leading carrier, Cebu Pacific (CEB), mounted three more flights from the Diosdado Macapagal International Airport (DMIA) here on Friday.
Lance Gokongwei, CEB president and CEO, announced the beginning of flights to Iloilo, Bacolod and Narita in Tokyo, Japan, at the Marriott Hotel here shortly after CEB’s maiden flight to Narita took off at the nearby DMIA with a full passenger capacity.
He said by December, CEB will be mounting the Clark-Puerto Princesa route, making it the largest airline operator out of Clark with seven domestic and four international destinations.
CEB, which started operations here in 2006, continues to stimulate growth in North and Central Luzon.
With the expansion of its route network in the Clark hub, CEB will become the largest carrier in Clark in terms of capacity by end-2019, capturing 28 percent of the total number of seats offered by all carriers operating in Clark.
Flights from Clark to Bacolod and Iloilo run daily, while direct service to and from Narita is scheduled four times weekly (Monday, Wednesday, Friday, Sunday). The carrier also earlier announced that it will begin flying daily between Clark and Puerto Princesa in Palawan by the fourth quarter of 2019.
These four new routes will boost CEB’s total capacity in Clark by 40 percent in 2019 alone, following a 75-percent increase in 2018 with the launch of direct commercial air service to and from Davao and Panglao (Bohol); as well as additional frequency for the Clark-Macau route.
We’re developing hubs—Gokongwei
“The opening of these new routes is a testament of how committed we are to continuously develop this hub—we are not only establishing seamless interisland connections, but also opening up North Luzon to more potential entrepreneurs, both local and foreign, furthering tourism, trade and investment opportunities in Clark and its surrounding areas,” said Gokongwei. CEB flies to four other domestic destinations (Cebu, Caticlan, Tagbilaran and Davao); and three other international destinations (Singapore, Macau and Hong Kong) to and from Clark. “As we aim to fly 200 million passengers by 2020; and 300 million by 2022, trust that we have been and will always keep our customers at the heart of the business,” said Gokongwei.
“Rest assured, we will continue to cater to the growing travel demand by enabling more ‘Juans’ to travel conveniently and affordably through our year-round low fares,” he added.
Also present at the formal launching of the three routes were Transportation Secretary Arthur P. Tugade, Mabalacat City Mayor Crisostomo C. Garbo, as well as representatives of other LGUs and officials of Cebu Pacific.
60 planes expected
Meanwhile, the airline expects to receive over 60 aircraft in the next eight years, guaranteeing an even greater growth in and out of the Philippines.
Aside from Clark, CEB operates flights out of six other strategically placed hubs in the Philippines: Manila, Kalibo, Iloilo, Cebu, Cagayan de Oro (Laguindingan) and Davao.
CEB operates over 2,000 weekly flights across 37 domestic and 26 international destinations.
Image credits: Ashley Manabat