Low-fare carrier Cebu Pacific (CEB) retained its position as the country’s leading domestic airline with a 45.6 percent market share in 2008, up by 2.6 percentage points from the previous year’s 42.9 percent, combined Civil Aeronautics Board and CAAP data showed.
Cebu Pacific flew 5.4 million domestic passengers, half a million passengers more than the combined traffic of Philippine Airlines and PAL Express. PAL flew 4.9 million passengers; Air Philippines carried 913,570; Zest Air, formerly known as Asian Spirit had 374,145 passengers; and Seair flew 217,885 passengers.
Cebu Pacific successfully increased its passenger traffic with its all-inclusive domestic and ‘Go Lite’ fares that continue to keep the cost of air travel within reach of the average Filipino.
“We took delivery of 10 brand new aircraft in 2008 which we used to fly to new destinations, add frequencies to existing routes, and open operational hubs in Clark and Davao. We will continue our expansion as we take delivery of six more aircraft this year,” Candice Iyog, CEB VP for marketing and distribution said.
Cebu Pacific increased its total number of domestic destinations to 27 in 2008 from 20 in 2007, and it also added routes from 28 in 2007 to 39 in 2008.
“With the arrival of six brand-new aircraft this year, we hope to carry more than 9 million passengers. The public can expect that we will continue to offer our trademark low fares and make air travel more affordable for every Juan in the Philippines and in Asia,” Iyog said.
Now in its 13th year, Cebu Pacific has the youngest aircraft fleet in the Philippines. It flies to 15 international cities and 27, soon to be 31 domestic destinations with the addition of Calbayog, Catarman, Virac (Catanduanes), and Siargao.
