Cebu Pacific (CEB) reported a 3.7‑percent jump in passenger traffic for the January‑to‑October period, driven largely by steady domestic travel demand, signaling strong momentum for the low‑cost carrier ahead of the Christmas peak season.
The airline flew nearly 22.9 million passengers in the first 10 months of the year, compared with the 22 million passengers it carried during the same stretch last year. Domestic passenger volume climbed 4.9 percent to hit 17.2 million, while international passenger numbers stayed flat at 5.6 million over the same period.
Cebu Pacific’s average seat load factor reached 82.3 percent, with total seat capacity expanding 6.3 percent to 27.8 million seats. The carrier’s monthly data for October showed roughly 2.1 million passengers, marking a modest 0.4‑percent year‑on‑year increase.
October’s domestic passenger traffic dipped slightly by 0.5 percent to 1.54 million, even as domestic seat capacity was cut by 5.6 percent, pushing the domestic load factor up to 87 percent. International passenger traffic, meanwhile, rose 2.8 percent to 549,000 passengers. The airline trimmed international capacity by 5.5 percent, lifting the international load factor by 6.2 percentage points to 77.6 percent.
Cebu Pacific President and Chief Commercial Officer Xander Lao said the airline managed to keep its passenger volume steady in October despite running fewer seats, as the carrier adjusted capacity and readied its fleet for the busy holiday travel window. “Demand remains strong and we are increasingly positive about the commercial outlook heading into the Christmas peak,” Lao said.
Cebu Pacific currently serves 36 domestic and 26 international destinations, backed by a fleet of 102 aircraft, positioning the airline to capitalize on the expected surge in holiday travel.
