Some 12 million people took Cebu Pacific (CEB) flights in 2011, pushing the budget airline’s passenger volume up by 14 percent from more than 10.5 million in 2010, the airline said in a statement to the Philippine Stock Exchange Thursday. The Gokongwei-owned airline said this was due mainly to the 2.72 million international passengers, a 22-percent increase year-on-year. This may be traced to CEB’s additional flights offered at the start of 2011 to Hong Kong, Kuala Lumpur, Brunei, Singapore, Ho Chi Minh, Seoul and Bangkok, the airline said. CEB added its domestic passengers numbered 9.22 million, up 12 percent from the 8.23 million. The airline traced this to capacity additions to key destinations, promos which lowered air fare due to the unbundling of baggage allowance, and its acquisition of five brand-new Airbus A320 aircraft last year. CEB also reported its domestic load factor (the number of passengers in a given flight) was 88 percent, up by 2 percentage points year-on-year. Its average load factor for both domestic and international routes advanced to 86 percent from 85 percent. "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," explained Candice Iyog, CEB vice-president for Marketing and Distribution. According to the airline executive, CEB is targeting to serve 14 million passengers this year. It will start its Manila-Hanoi flights beginning March 17 year, and will be the only airline to service this route. The airline will also resume its Manila-Xiamen flights and start its Kalibo-Hong Kong flights on March 23, 2012. The latter flight is the first international flight from Kalibo, the jump-off point to Boracay Island. —CMA/KG/VS, GMA News
Friday, January 13, 2012
Cebu Pacific says 2011 passenger volume grew 14%
Some 12 million people took Cebu Pacific (CEB) flights in 2011, pushing the budget airline’s passenger volume up by 14 percent from more than 10.5 million in 2010, the airline said in a statement to the Philippine Stock Exchange Thursday. The Gokongwei-owned airline said this was due mainly to the 2.72 million international passengers, a 22-percent increase year-on-year. This may be traced to CEB’s additional flights offered at the start of 2011 to Hong Kong, Kuala Lumpur, Brunei, Singapore, Ho Chi Minh, Seoul and Bangkok, the airline said. CEB added its domestic passengers numbered 9.22 million, up 12 percent from the 8.23 million. The airline traced this to capacity additions to key destinations, promos which lowered air fare due to the unbundling of baggage allowance, and its acquisition of five brand-new Airbus A320 aircraft last year. CEB also reported its domestic load factor (the number of passengers in a given flight) was 88 percent, up by 2 percentage points year-on-year. Its average load factor for both domestic and international routes advanced to 86 percent from 85 percent. "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," explained Candice Iyog, CEB vice-president for Marketing and Distribution. According to the airline executive, CEB is targeting to serve 14 million passengers this year. It will start its Manila-Hanoi flights beginning March 17 year, and will be the only airline to service this route. The airline will also resume its Manila-Xiamen flights and start its Kalibo-Hong Kong flights on March 23, 2012. The latter flight is the first international flight from Kalibo, the jump-off point to Boracay Island. —CMA/KG/VS, GMA News
