BUDGET carrier Cebu Pacific (CEB) is adding more daily flights from Manila to Bacolod, as it strengthens its domestic operations for its continued recovery.
Cebu Pacific Chief Corporate Affairs Officer Michael Ivan Shau said the airline’s increased frequencies for the Manila-Bacolod flights will start on December 16.
The airline will be operating Manila-Bacolod flights twice daily, on top of its twice-weekly flights exclusively for fully-vaccinated passengers until January 15.
“We remain committed to rebuilding the public’s trust and confidence in air travel, and we will continue to collaborate with the government to achieve this goal,” Shau said.
He noted that with increased frequencies, Cebu Pacific will be able to “reduce fares” and support “the recovery of air travel to and from Bacolod.”
Cebu Pacific offers a waiver of fees for 5 kilograms of excess baggage for fully-vaccinated passengers flying to and from Bacolod. The offer will run until January 15.
Alex Reyes, the company’s head of strategy, said the airline expects demand for travel will remain on a growth path if 2021 was any indication. From operating at only 19 percent of its original capacity, Cebu Pacific has restored 60 percent of its pre-Covid capacity this month.
“Clearly on the domestic side, recovery will be much quicker with 84 percent of total output in 2022. We’re expecting that in some months we’ll actually be back to levels in 2020 on a month-on-month comparison. International side will be much slower [at 39 percent of total output],” Reyes said during a press briefing on Tuesday.
He added that the group is prepared to meet higher travel demand next year with the addition of six new aircraft to its fleet. Cebu Pacific will receive two A321neo (new engine option), one A320neo, two A330neo, and one ATR 72-600 this year.
“We’ve already taken deliveries of the two A321neos, the A330 and the A320. Another A330neo, along with the ATR 72-600, are expected to arrive. We are among the few airlines in the world and the only one in the Philippines to take deliveries during a pandemic, which is a testament to CEB’s resilience, liquidity, and expected recovery as we enter 2022,” Reyes said.