Cebu Pacific plans Legazpi night flights

MANILA, Philippines - Cebu Pacific said the upgrade of the Legazpi International Airport as a night-capable facility has allowed the budget carrier to operate flights even in the evening. 

In a statement, Cebu Pacific said it is the first carrier to operate night flights out of the Legazpi International Airport after being upgraded by the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) with necessary facilities and declared ready to accommodate evening flights.

The upgrade allows airlines to offer more flights for passengers to choose from. 

At present, Cebu Pacific operates six daily flights to and from Legazpi via Manila and Cebu.

Evening flights operated by Cebu Pacific’s wholly-owned subsidiary Cebgo, depart Manila at 6:15 p.m. and 7:20 p.m, and arrive in Legazpi at 7:40 p.m. and 8:45 p.m., respectively. 

The return flights meanwhile, leave Legazpi at 8:20 p.m. and 9:35 p.m., and land in Manila at 9:40 p.m. and 10:55 p.m., respectively. 

The upgrade is likewise seen to give a further boost to tourism in Legazpi which serves as a regional hub for business, education and government.

Legazpi International Airport is the main airport of the Bicol region, serving provinces such as Albay and Sorsogon. 

As early as 2012, Cebu Pacific has been calling for the upgrade of airports to have night capability to allow airlines to offer flights in the evening and in effect, help ease congestion at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) runway during the peak noon to early afternoon schedule.

“We are commending CAAP for taking action on our request, as this is a great step towards achieving the decongestion of NAIA,” Paterno Mantaring, vice president for corporate affairs at Cebu Pacific said. 

NAIA’s four terminals handled over 36 million passengers last year, above its annual maximum capacity of 35 million passengers.

“We believe this improvement in Legazpi is a move in the right direction as we continue to work with relevant authorities for night operations in other key Philippine destinations, such as Caticlan, Roxas, Naga and Dumaguete, among others,” Mantaring said.