Cebu Pacific continues to dominate Manila-Sydney route

MANILA, Philippines — Cebu Pacific continued to dominate the Manila to Sydney route last year as it accounted for the biggest share of the market.

In a statement yesterday, the budget carrier said it accounted for 40 percent of the Manila to Sydney market last year, beating competitors Philippine Airlines and Qantas which had 33 percent and 26 percent, respectively.

Based on data from Australia’s Bureau of Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Economics (BITRE), a total 408,034 passengers flew between Manila and Sydney last year, up 10.76 percent from 2016.

Of the total, Cebu Pacific carried 164,565 passengers.

“We’re thrilled to have maintained our position as the key player on the Sydney – Manila route. We firmly believe the Philippines is a great vacation choice for the Australian market. It’s within close proximity and has a variety of leisure, recreation and relaxation options. We want Australians to continue to embrace long-haul, low-cost flying, allowing them to save on travel and splurge on the beautiful destination that is the Philippines,” Candice Iyog, vice president for marketing at Cebu Pacific, said.

In terms of air freight services, the BITRE report showed total cargo volume on the Sydney to Manila route grew 42 percent to 10,495 tons last year from 7,390 tons in 2016.

Of the total, Cebu Pacific accounted for a 39.12 percent market share through 4,106 tons last year, posting a 68 percent growth year-on-year.

“The strong performance of freight services between the Philippines and Australia is consistent with the sustained growth in two-way trade between the two countries. Consumer spending and capital formation have fueled demand for cargo capacity. We are optimistic that the expansion of e-commerce and the growing need for low-cost and efficient transport of time- and temperature-sensitive goods will continue to fuel our growth in the near to medium term,” said Alex Reyes, vice president for cargo at Cebu Pacific.

At present, Cebu Pacific offers the most number of seats on the Manila to Sydney route with five flights per week.