Budget carrier Cebu Pacific posted a slight decline in passenger volume last month compared to the same period the previous year. Still, it is expected that traffic will rebound in the fourth quarter for the peak travel season.
Cebu Pacific carried 2.1 million passengers in August 2025, a 0.4 percent decrease from last year as domestic passengers dropped 4.4 percent versus August 2024 on account of fewer seats.
International passenger traffic, meanwhile, grew 13 percent year-over-year on 21 percent more seats.
In a statement on Monday, Cebu Pacific added: “The softer year-on-year traffic in August reflects the usual lean travel season in the Philippines, particularly for domestic routes, while international passenger growth remained strong. We see this as an expected and temporary dip, with traffic rebounding in the fourth quarter as peak travel season begins and aircraft availability improves,” Mike Szucs, Cebu Pacific chief executive officer, said.
“We moderated our domestic capacity growth in August due to some unscheduled engine removals, the fly-a-deal wet-lease, and scheduled maintenance events in preparation for the busy holiday months. These actions enable our capacity to be optimized so that we can deliver higher growth in the fourth quarter to coincide with the anticipated strong demand,” he added.
For the year-to-date 2025, CEB passengers grew to 18.1 million, marking a 15 percent increase from 15.7 million in 2024. Domestic passengers increased by 14 percent to 13.5 million, while international passengers rose by 19 percent to 4.6 million. SLF averaged 85 percent, while overall capacity in seats grew 15 percent to 21.3 million.
Meanwhile, Cebu Pacific has been ranked 18th among global airlines with the lowest emissions in the Cirium Flight Emissions Review—the only Philippine carrier to make the list.
Cirium said that CEB emitted 62.4 grams of CO₂ per Available Seat Kilometer (ASK) in 2024, among the lowest in the global aviation industry.
“We are pleased to receive this recognition, which affirms that our efforts are making a real impact. By investing in modern, fuel-efficient aircraft and adopting new technologies, we aim to keep fares affordable while making flying more sustainable for Filipinos,” Aileen Isidro, CEB vice president for corporate strategy, said.
The airline attributed its ranking to a comprehensive decarbonization strategy anchored on fleet modernization and operational efficiency. In 2024, the airline placed the largest aircraft order in Philippine history—up to 152 aircraft in the A320neo family.
