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Cebu Pacific announces long-haul service from Q3 2013

January 31, 2012

Cebu Pacific Air is to launch long-haul flights in the third quarter of 2013 using up to eight leased Airbus A330-300s to reach markets beyond the range of its Airbus A320 fleet.

“The A330-300 will give us the lowest cost per seat, allowing us to drive long-haul fares 35% lower than those currently offered by other airlines, and as much as 80% lower when Cebu Pacific offers promo fares. This aircraft type is very well suited to the kind of network we want to build and the routes we want to launch,” explained Lance Gokongwei, the airline’s president and CEO. When the aircraft are introduced, they will operate under the current AOC of Cebu Pacific.

“We are exploring serving cities where large Filipino communities reside – Europe, Middle East, Oceania and the USA. Data indicates that more than half of Filipinos deployed in these regions take multiple stops and connecting flights because no home carrier can fly them there non-stop,” added Gokongwei.

Gokongwei cited Saudi Arabia as an example, where only 165,000 passengers flew direct non-stop flights from Manila, according to Civil Aeronautics Board 2010 data, compared with 293,000 Filipinos deployed to Saudi Arabia in the same year. This means that nearly half of Filipinos who flew to Saudi Arabia in 2010 had to take multiple flights to get to their destination. With Cebu Pacific’s long-haul operations, the carrier is aiming to provide more affordable, direct flight options to Filipinos overseas, a population estimated to be 11 million worldwide.

The airline’s fleet currently comprises 10 Airbus A319s, 19 A320s and eight ATR 72-500s. Between 2012 and 2021, Cebu Pacific will take delivery of 23 more A320s and 30 Airbus A321neos.

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