Cebu Pacific adds Qatar route in June

MANILA, Philippines — Budget airline Cebu Air Inc. (Cebu Pacific) of taipan John Gokongwei is set to mount flights to Doha, Qatar on June 4 to serve more Filipinos living and working in the Middle East.

Cebu Pacific general manager for long-haul division Alex Reyes said it has been the priority of the low cost carrier to establish presence in countries where there are large Filipino communities.

Data from the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration estimates that in 2009 there were over 260,000 Filipinos in  Qatar making it the third-largest community in the Middle East.

The Gokongwei-led airline also serves the United Arab Emirates via direct flights to Dubai, and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia via Riyadh.

It is the only airline flying direct between Manila and Kuwait.

This new twice a week route would utilize CEB’s brand-new Airbus A330-300 aircraft, with a configuration of 436 all-economy class seats.

Its introductory Manila-Doha fares start at P888, for sale until March 16, or until seats last. The seat sale fare, which is the cost of approximately five movie tickets, may be used for travel from June 4 to Dec. 31 this year.

After the seat sale, CEB’s lowest year-round fares between Manila and Doha start at P9,488 or approximately 60 percent lower than other airlines.

“We are excited to offer Cebu Pacific’s trademark low fares to travelers in Doha, especially since we are the only low-cost carrier operating this route. With our expanding network, Qatar becomes more accessible from the Philippines, and the Filipino community can reunite with their families more often,” Reyes added.

Cebu Pacific partnered with Airbus Corporate Foundation and Aviation Sans Frontières for the transport of 2.4 tonnes of donations on-board the newest Airbus A330 aircraft that arrived in Manila from Toulouse, France last March 11.

The donations including new clothes and shoes for children and babies, teddy bears, pens, and schoolbooks, as well as blankets and small medical supplies would be forwarded to communities affected by severe flooding and typhoons in the Philippines.

Cebu Pacific now operates a fleet of 55 aircraft comprised of 10 Airbus A319, 31 Airbus A320, six Airbus A330, and eight ATR 72-500 aircraft. It is scheduled to take delivery of seven more A320 and 30 A321neo aircraft between this year and 2021 as part of the ongoing $4 billion fleet renewal program.

The airline has signed an agreement with Nasdaq-listed Allegiant Travel for the sale of six A319 to Las Vegas-based Allegiant Air.

Cebu Pacific and sister firm Tiger Airways Philippines flew 16.87 million passengers last year or 17.5 percent higher than the 14.35 million passengers servce in 2013 amid the expansion of its domestic and international routes with the arrival of brand new Airbus aircraft.

It operates six hubs in the Philippines including the congested Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA); the Mactan-Cebu International airport in Cebu; the Kalibo international airport in Aklan; the Diosdado Macapagal International Airport (DMIA) in Clark; Davao International Airport l; and Iloilo International Airport.