Cebu Pacific passenger volume up 14%

MANILA, Philippines - Low-cost carrier Cebu Pacific (CEB) said it flew close to 12 million passengers in 2011, an increase of 14 percent over 10.5 million passengers in 2010, mainly driven by a 22 percent increase in international passengers, which numbered over 2.72 million.

CEB added flights to Hong Kong, Kuala Lumpur, Brunei, Singapore, Ho Chi Minh, Seoul and Bangkok since the start of 2011 to meet travel demand.

Meanwhile, the Gokongwei-owned airline flew 9.22 million domestic passengers, up 12 percent from 8.23 million in 2010. It said these increases were due to capacity additions to key destinations, lower fares due to the unbundling of baggage allowance, and the arrival of five brand-new Airbus A320 aircraft in 2011.

The 2011 domestic load factor was 88 percent, two percentage points higher than in 2010. The average load factor for the year for both domestic and international routes was 86 percent, an increase from 85 percent last year. Load factor refers to how full the flights are.

 “CEB was able to add 13 percent more seat capacity in 2011, and this translates to more flights for passengers and the continuous expansion of the airline within the Philippines and Asia,” CEB vice president for marketing and distribution Candice Iyog said.

“We look forward to serving 14 million passengers this year. Cebu Pacific will continue to boost tourism and trade in the destinations we fly to, and offer the most innovative travel services for the convenience of our guests,” she added.

CEB will be the only airline to operate a Manila-Hanoi service starting March 17, 2012. It will also reopen its Manila-Xiamen service and begin its first international flight from Kalibo, the international gateway to world-renowned Boracay Island with its Kalibo-Hong Kong flights on March 23, 2012.

For bookings and inquiries, guests can go to www.cebupacificair.com, or call the reservation hotlines (02) 7020-888 or (032) 230-8888. The latest seat sales and promos can also be found on CEB’s official Twitter and Facebook pages.