Budget carrier Cebu Pacific carried nearly 2.3 million passengers in April 2026, slightly down by 0.7 percent from a year earlier, as higher ticket prices dampened travel demand.
The airline said rising fuel costs and geopolitical tensions forced fare increases, leading to weaker passenger loads despite expanding flight capacity. Cebu Pacific’s overall seat load factor fell to 74.4 percent from 83.8 percent last year, while total available seats grew by 11.9 percent.
Domestic travel remained mostly flat, with passenger volume slipping 0.1 percent even as seat capacity jumped 15.8 percent. International traffic also declined by 2.3 percent, pushing load factors lower on overseas routes.
Despite the softer April performance, Cebu Pacific still posted strong growth for the first four months of 2026, flying more than 9.8 million passengers — up 6.2 percent from last year. The airline credited the increase to continued demand for both domestic and international travel.
Cebu Pacific president and chief commercial officer Xander Lao said the airline has started adjusting fares and launching seat sales to stimulate bookings, with early signs of recovery seen in late April and May.
The airline currently operates 35 domestic and 25 international destinations using a fleet of 101 aircraft, one of the youngest fleets in the world.
