Cebu Pacific (CEB) started 2026 on a strong note, flying 2.73 million passengers in January, 6.2 percent more than the same month last year.
The airline also added more flights and seats, increasing total capacity by 9.9 percent. Because seats grew faster than passengers, its overall seat load factor, a measure of how full flights are, slipped slightly to 83.6 percent from 86.5 percent a year ago. Even so, most seats were still filled, showing steady demand for travel.
Domestic flights continued to drive the business. Passenger numbers within the Philippines rose 5.1 percent to 2.01 million, while available seats increased 7.9 percent. Domestic flights were 84.7 percent full on average.
International travel grew even faster. Cebu Pacific flew 9.4 percent more international passengers, reaching 723,000 for the month. However, since the airline added 15.5 percent more seats on overseas routes, the average load factor fell to 80.7 percent.
Other key measures also improved. Revenue Passenger Kilometers, which track how far paying passengers travel, went up 6.0 percent. Available Seat Kilometers, which measure total flight capacity, climbed 10.8 percent.
“Cebu Pacific’s strong January 2026 performance demonstrates the resilience of underlying travel demand and the effectiveness of our capacity deployment strategy,” said Xander Lao, President and Chief Commercial Officer.
He said the airline will continue adjusting its flight network and using its fleet efficiently to capture more growth while delivering value to customers and stakeholders.
