CebuPac to add flights to Vietnam, China

MANILA, Philippines - Listed budget airline Cebu Air Inc. (Cebu Pacific) of taipan John L. Gokongwei Jr. is set to mount additional flights to Vietnam and China due to growing number of passengers.

Cebu Pacific vice president for marketing and distribution Candice Iyog said the airline is mounting additional weekly flights to Hanoi in Vietnam and Guangzhou in China resulting in a 33 percent increase in seat capacity to the fast growing markets in the region.

 â€œVietnam and China are two of our fast-growing source markets for foreign tourists. We continue to support the government’s tourism goals, with this increased connectivity and Cebu Pacific’s trademark lowest fares,” Iyog stressed.

She pointed out that Cebu Pacific currently operates more flights and offers more seats to Vietnam and Guangzhou than any other Philippine carrier.

Cebu Pacific would fly three times a week between Manila and Hanoi starting Oct. 13 using Airbus A319 aircraft. It is the only airline with direct flights between the Philippines and Hanoi. It also flies daily from Manila to Ho Chi Minh.

The low cost carrier is also set to operate a total of four weekly flights from Manila to Guangzhou resulting in a 25 percent increase in seat capacity starting Nov. 2. Aside from Guangzhou, it also flies daily to Shanghai, three times a week to Xiamen, and four times a week to Beijing.

Cebu Pacific also offers flights to Hong Kong from Manila, Cebu, Clark and Iloilo, as well as flights to Macau from Manila and Clark.

Iyog said the additional flights to Vietnam and China is in line with the airline’s ongoing expansion program.

 â€œThis is also in line with the delivery of more aircraft in 2013, as we expand in Asia and the Middle East. These additional flights will provide more flight schedule options to guests booking their flights in time for the holidays,” she added.

Cebu Pacific currently fly to 22 international destinations including Bali, Bangkok, Beijing, Brunei, Busan, Dubai, Guangzhou, Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh, Hong Kong, Incheon, Jakarta, Kota Kinabalu, Kuala Lumpur, Macau, Osaka, Phuket, Shanghai, Siem Reap, Singapore, Taipei, and Xiamen.

Cebu Pacific president Lance Gokongwei earlier told the company’s stockholders that the low cost carrier intends to beef up its fleet to 62 by 2017 from about 41 aircraft as of end-2012.

The airline is taking the delivery of three additional A320s in the second half of the year and two A330s next year as well as nine more A320s between 2015 and 2017.