CebuPac sets Mla-Phuket flights

MANILA, Philippines - Cebu Air Inc., the operator of the Cebu Pacific airline brand of taipan John L. Gokongwei Jr., is set to become the first local airline with direct flights between Manila and Phuket in Thailand starting August.

Candice Iyog, vice president for marketing and distribution of Cebu Pacific, said the budget carrier will be the first and only airline to provide direct air services from the Philippines to this popular island destination in Thailand.

“Cebu Pacific is proud to make the island of Phuket accessible to even more travelers. Our P999 seat sale is 71 percent off our year-round fares. We encourage everyone to take advantage of our airline’s trademark lowest fares to this world-renowned tourist attraction,” she stressed.

Phuket is Cebu Pacific’s second destination in Thailand next to Bangkok where the low-cost carrier operates 12 weekly flights from Manila and twice weekly flights from both Cebu and Clark.

The budget airline would fly thrice a week between Manila and Phuket every Monday, Wednesday and Friday using its brand-new Airbus A320 aircraft.

Located approximately 860 kilometers south of Bangkok, Phuket is Thailand’s largest island. It is widely known for its dive sites and abundant beaches, making it a popular location for Hollywood movies. The Phrom Thep Cape and Wat Chalong Temple are also popular attractions, as well as snorkeling, windsurfing, sailing and yachting.

Presently, Cebu Pacific offers 22 international destinations including Bali, Bangkok, Beijing, Brunei, Busan, Dubai, Guangzhou, Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh, Hong Kong, Incheon, Jakarta, Kota Kinabalu, Kuala Lumpur, Macau, Osaka, Phuket, Shanghai, Siem Reap, Singapore, Taipei and Xiamen.

“Aside from Phuket, Cebu Pacific also pioneered direct low-cost flights from Manila to Siem Reap in Cambodia, Hanoi in Vietnam, Kota Kinabalu in Malaysia and Bali in Indonesia. All can be considered honeymoon destinations, as well as backpacker destinations, so we hope guests start planning their trips early and book now,” Iyog added.

The airline is also slated to launch flights from Cebu to Masbate on June 1 and from Cebu to Taipei on July 5. The airline’s first long haul flight from Manila to Dubai is scheduled on Oct. 7.

Cebu Pacific currently operates 10 Airbus A319, 25 Airbus A320 and eight ATR-72 500 aircraft. Its fleet of 43 aircraft is one of the most modern aircraft fleets in the world.

It expects the delivery of 17 more Airbus A320, 30 Airbus A321neo, and four Airbus A330 aircraft between 2013 and 2021.

Cebu Pacific booked a 20.2 percent jump in net income to P1.16 billion in the first quarter from P962.4 million in the same quarter last year on the back of higher passenger volume, cheaper fuel costs, and increase in average fares.

Higher passenger and cargo volumes also pushed the airline’s revenues by 12.9 percent to P10.54 billion in the first quarter  from P9.34 billion in the same quarter last year.

Cebu Pacific reported that volume of passengers inched up  4.9 percent to 3.5 million in the first quarter from 3.4 million in the same quarter last year while number of flights increased 4.8 percent as the number of aircraft went up to 43 from 40.