Cebu Pacific hikes Davao seats to 289K

MANILA, Philippines — Low-cost carrier Cebu Pacific is closing the year with a capacity of roughly 300,000 seats in its Davao hub, as it bets on the growth potential of Mindanao’s busiest gateway.

Data obtained by The STAR showed that Cebu Pacific is poised to grow its seat volume in Davao by 81 percent to 289,000 per month by December, up from 160,000 in January.

In line with this, its monthly flights from Davao will increase by 58 percent to 1,345 from 852, offering travelers more options when flying in and out of the province.

In October, Cebu Pacific expanded its Davao network by introducing new flights to domestic and international destinations. It introduced daily flights from Davao to Caticlan and Puerto Princesa, catering to the steady demand for leisure trips to Boracay and Palawan.

Further, the airline mounted thrice-weekly flights to Tacloban, providing the most affordable option for reaching the city from Davao. Internationally, Cebu Pacific launched direct flights to Hong Kong and Bangkok, via Don Mueang, to boost foreign travel from Davao.

Cebu Pacific also enhanced booking options for travelers from the city, extending schedules from early morning until late at night for more flexibility.

Currently, Cebu Pacific flies out of Davao to Manila 11 times a day, to Cebu five times daily, to Iloilo twice a day, to Zamboanga twice daily and to Tagbilaran 10 times a week.

Likewise, the airline owned by the Gokongweis offers daily trips from Davao to Bacolod, Clark and Siargao, as well as weekly services to Cagayan de Oro.

To support its network expansion, Cebu Pacific expects to receive 18 aircraft deliveries this year, with six arriving in the fourth quarter. If deliveries go as planned, the airline will end 2024 with a fleet of 95 jets, servicing 35 domestic and 26 international routes.

Overall, Cebu Pacific is projected to conclude the year with a systemwide capacity of at least three million seats per month. It is also expected to operate up to 16,000 flights monthly to support the new routes it has opened.

In October, Cebu Pacific signed a firm order with Airbus for up to 152 aircraft, amounting to $24 billion, or around P1.4 trillion – the largest aircraft purchase in Philippine aviation history.

With this investment, the airline aims to maintain its industry leadership, capturing 54 percent of the domestic demand for air travel.