Cebu Pacific bucks global trend, posts 28% more passengers in Q1
abs-cbnNEWS.com | 04/01/2009 6:50 PM
Printer-friendly version | 
Send to friend | 
Share your views
Gokongwei-led carrier Cebu Pacific on Wednesday reported a 28 percent growth in passenger traffic for the first three months of the year, bucking the gloomy global trend in the aviation industry, which reported a 10 percent drop in February alone.
In a statement, the Philippine's first budget airline said it ferried 1.97 million passengers from January to March. In the same period last year, it recorded 1.54 million passengers.
Cebu Pacific's domestic passenger base for the first quarter grew by 32 percent at 1.59 million from 1.2 million in 2008. International passenger traffic, on the other hand, reached 379,235 from last year's 336,246.
On March 30 alone, the airline carried a total of 27,740 passengers, breaking its previous record of most passengers last January 4 at 25,987.
The company attributed the increase in passenger volume to its continued fleet expansion and low fare offers, which have attracted even corporate accounts that are currently reducing budgets for their executives' transportation.
Lance Gokongwei, Cebu Pacific's chief executive officer, also explained in a previous interview that the airline's transfer to NAIA 3, the newest airport terminal in Manila, from the previous dilapidated and cramped Domestic Terminal, has helped convince corporate clients to consider them as alternative to the full service airlines.
"We hope to encourage more Filipinos and foreigners to take Cebu Pacific’s flights because of affordability, wide connectivity and convenient schedules," Cebu Pacific Vice President for marketing and distribution Candice Iyog said.
The airline started the year with a fleet of 25 aircraft and took delivery of two brand new Airbus A320 and two ATR 72-500 aircraft in the first quarter. It has also added flights to 11 domestic routes and five international cities including Shanghai, Macau, Kuala Lumpur, Singapore, and Hong Kong.
Cebu Pacific has also opened four new domestic destinations and added four routes from its Cebu hub (Cotabato, Legaspi, Dumaguete, and Siargao).
“We will continue to grow our domestic and international operations by adding frequencies and opening new destinations," Iyog said.
Now on its 14th year, Cebu Pacific has the youngest aircraft fleet in the country with 11 Airbus A320, 10 Airbus A319, and eight ATR 72-500.
