Cebu Pacific has deferred anew the relaunch of several flights to China due to a combination low demand and the state of Philippines-China relations.
Alexander G. Lao, Cebu Pacific president and chief commercial officer, said the planned resumption of the Manila-Beijing flights is suspended until further notice.
The Manila to Beijing route was initially scheduled last year but was suspended.
“We are not operating, for example, into Xiamen and Shenzhen this winter so that’s part of our pivot and you would see that in our announcements anyway,” Lao said.
“We have to be pragmatic as well. Considering the existing relationship between the Philippines and China, it’s better maybe for us to redeploy our assets elsewhere and cater to demand where we see it,” he added.
Lao said the budget carrier is moving some of its routes from China to other places such as Chiang Mai in Thailand and Da Nang in Vietnam.
“You’ll see a few more announcements hopefully in the next couple of weeks,” he said.
Cebu Pacific is set to fly from Manila to Chiang Mai starting 29 October, the fourth destination the airline will operate in Thailand.
Cebu Pacific also flies from Manila and Cebu to Bangkok, with the option to fly to Suvarnabhumi Airport or Don Mueang International Airport.
Lao is hopeful that the Chinese market will recover. “It’s an important pillar in our tourism, in our tourism numbers (of) almost two million in 2019,” he said.
The airline anticipates carrying more than 24 million passengers to various destinations this year, up from15.84 million domestic and international passengers in 2023.
Cebu Pacific operates flights to 35 domestic and 26 international destinations across Asia, Australia, and the Middle East.
