For April-May CEB projects 16% hike in passenger volume

CEBU, Philippines -    The Gokongwei-led national flag carrier, Cebu Pacific (CEB) projected a 16 percent increase of its passenger volume for the summer season of April and May, compared to the same period last year.

In a statement, CEB vice president for marketing and distribution Candice Iyog reported that from May 1 to 15 alone this year, the airline posted a 19 percent year-on-year passenger growth versus the same period in 2010.

International traffic surged 22 percent, while domestic traffic increased by 18 percent for the same period.

“Despite spiraling oil prices, this summer period indicates a very strong traffic performance. We broke several records in April, and foresee even better performance this May. We are grateful to CEB passengers for their support, as this is an achievement given the present rising fuel costs,” said Iyog.

CEB earlier announced it flew more than 1 million passengers in April, a first for any Philippine carrier. It also posted 15.9 percent passenger growth for that month, compared to the same period in 2010.

She added that CEB continues offering the lowest fares in all the routes it operates, for its 33 domestic and 16 international destinations.

“We are glad to provide every Juan more convenient and more affordable travel options,” she added.

CEB fuel surcharges are 60 percent lower for international flights compared to rival Philippine Airlines (PAL).

 CEB also has the lowest fuel surcharge in majority of domestic routes commonly operated by PAL, AirPhil Express, and Zest Air.

CEB currently operates 10 Airbus A319, 15 Airbus A320 and 8 ATR-72 500 aircraft. By the end of 2011, CEB will be operating a fleet of 37 aircraft – with an average age of less than 3.5 years – one of the most modern aircraft fleets in the world. Between 2012 and 2014, Cebu Pacific will take an additional 16 Airbus A320 aircraft.

The Department of Tourism (DOT) earlier announced its target of at least 3.74 million tourist arrivals for the year 2011.

Last year, total visitor arrivals to the Philippines both international and domestic reached to 3.52 million.

In the first three months this year, visitor count continued to show a hefty increase of 13 percent, an indication that the Philippine tourism is not largely affected by the external crises in Middle East and Japan, DOT said.

More than the expansion in foreign arrivals, domestic tourism movement in the country, DOT revealed is the upswing as well.

Based on the National Statistics Office (NSO) record, there are a total of 22.8 million Filipinos who traveled throughout the Philippines in 2009.

DOT recognized the low airfare rates offered by local airlines, like CEB as one of the largest contributors to active tourism market, specifically Filipinos traveling across the country. – (FREEMAN)