Cebu Pacific flies over 2M passengers in January

Cebu Pacific (CEB) saw a significant surge in passenger volume last month, transporting 2.6 million travelers—an increase of 33.4% compared to January 2024.

“January traffic saw strong passenger demand, fueled by holiday travel and the airline’s network and capacity expansion over the past year,” CEB president Alexander Lao said in a statement on Friday.

The budget airline, owned by the Gokongwei Group, has expanded its operations to cover 124 routes, a notable increase from the 104 routes it served during the same period last year.

“Throughout this year, we are committed to optimizing our capacity to meet the rising consumer demand along with the need to manage ongoing engine and supply chain issues,” Lao added.

CEB’s international passenger traffic grew by 29.9% year over year, supported by the expansion of its international network, which now includes 40 routes, up from 36 in January 2024.

Domestically, the airline recorded a 34.6% rise in passenger traffic, driven largely by heightened travel demand during the New Year holidays.

To accommodate this growth, CEB introduced additional flight frequencies and new domestic routes. Its domestic network now comprises 84 routes, a jump from 68 in the same period last year.

Meanwhile, the airline also reported a 31.2% increase in seat capacity. Its seat load factor—a key measure of how efficiently available seating capacity is filled—rose to 86.5% from 85.1% in January 2024.