Cebu Pacific expands flight routes from Iloilo

MANILA, Philippines —  Low-cost carrier Cebu Pacific is keeping its foot on the pedal in terms of network expansion, as it is mounting new connections from Iloilo to boost its flight reach.

Cebu Pacific yesterday said it is expanding its Iloilo hub by resuming flights to Tacloban and launching trips to Zamboanga in October.

In turn, the airline will close the year with its Iloilo operations able to reach 11 destinations here and abroad, benefitting travelers from the province and Visayas.

By Oct. 27, Cebu Pacific will resume flying between Iloilo and Tacloban four times a week - on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays. By Oct. 28, the carrier will begin flying to Zamboanga thrice a week - every Monday, Wednesday and Friday.

Cebu Pacific president and chief commercial officer Alexander Lao said the airline is increasing its Iloilo flights to support travel demand in the province. He said Cebu Pacific is making the right move in its push to widen its domestic coverage.

“The addition of our new domestic routes from Iloilo aligns with the mission of making air travel accessible to a wider range of passengers,” Lao said.

Prior to this, Cebu Pacific announced it will connect Iloilo to Hong Kong four times a week starting Oct. 27 and to Singapore thrice weekly beginning Nov. 25.

Currently, the airline owned by the Gokongweis connect Iloilo to Cagayan de Oro, Cebu, Clark, Davao, General Santos City, Manila and Puerto Princesa.

The carrier is bolstering its flight presence in the Visayas to capture the island’s demand for air travel. Cebu Pacific will introduce direct flights from Cebu to Don Mueang and to Osaka in October, giving travelers in Visayas a convenient option when heading to Thailand or Japan.

During the same month, Cebu Pacific will commence its weekly services between Cebu and San Vicente, Palawan, which is home to Long Beach, the longest white sand beach in the Philippines. On top of this, the airline will operate Cebu-Masbate flights.

For 2024, Cebu Pacific aims for a record passenger count of 24 million to break its pre-pandemic high of 22.47 million.