Cebu Pacific gets nod to fly international

Cebu Pacific will soon fly scheduled international services, initially to Asian destinations, and is currently in negotiations for the lease of three Boeing 757s for this service which will be launched in a few months.

"We have been given the permit to fly and are just waiting for the process to be completed," said Cebu Pacific president and CEO Lance Y. Gokongwei.

Under the Philippine system, official carrier designation given by the Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB) is endorsed to the President of the Philippines for approval, after which it is transmitted to the government of the country of destination.

The Gokongwei-owned airline’s designation to Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand and Guam was approved by Malacañang in 1997 but will be transmitted to the government of these countries only now.

Its designation as Philippine official carrier for the US, which was approved by the CAB in 1998, will now be endorsed to President Arroyo, and subsequently be transmitted to Washington DC. Last week, the CAB also approved the airline’s designation to Japan, Australia, China, Korea, Taiwan and Hong Kong.

The Civil Aeronautics Board also gave Cebu Pacific a five-year authority to fly international charters.

Gokongwei said Cebu Pacific will extend its on-time, great value trademark to its international operations by maintaining its efficient, fun and personalized brand of service, which the airline has become known for.

"We look forward to introducing our brand of service to the international market. We pioneered the on-time, great value concept in the domestic arena, and we have every reason to believe it will likewise be a success in this new service," Gokongwei said.

Cebu Pacific is the second largest domestic carrier with one-third of the market and the lion’s share of flights within Visayas and Mindanao, using Cebu as its hub.

It has been consistently turning in profits since it started operations in 1996, the only local airline to do so. Its on-time performance has consistently been the highest in the industry owing to a strong corporate commitment of all its personnel to the maintenance of this index.

In late 1999, the airline received its certifications for both AQS 9000/121 (Aviation Quality and Safety) and ISO 9002. The certifications ascertain that Cebu Pacific adheres to the strictest standards of safety and quality imposed by international organizations and aircraft manufacturers. These standards are way above the minimum acceptable levels worldwide.