Despite the continued rise of jet fuel prices, Cebu Pacific Inc. (CEB) yesterday said its airfares in April to July are still much cheaper compared to the pre-pandemic level in 2019 and this will sustain the recovery in both its domestic and international operations.
In a press briefing, Candice Iyog, CEB vice president for marketing and customer experience, said the airline’s domestic airfares in the second quarter were lower by 26 percent compared to the same period in 2019.
CEB said its airfare for July is 9 percent lower compared to those in July 2019, despite the Civil Aeronautics Board’s (CAB) approval to implement higher fuel surcharges this month.
At level 11 of the CAB’s fuel surcharge matrix, this month’s surcharge can range from P355 to P1,038 per passenger per kilometer for domestic flights and for international flights, from P1,172.07 up to P8,714.84 per passenger, per way.
Mark Cesar, CEB chief financial officer, told reporters the airline continues to subsidize passenger fares to sustain its recovery.
CEB has restored 88 percent of its pre-pandemic system wide capacity, following the continuous ramp up of its domestic and international routes.
The airline now flies an average of 340 flights a day covering 34 domestic and 18 international destinations. This is equivalent to roughly 64,000 seats offered in a day.
CEB said it has restored 100 percent of its pre-pandemic domestic capacity last April and that it has surpassed its December 2019 level for domestic capacity as it marks 109 percent restoration this month.
“We are pleased to see more people confidently flying again, not just within the Philippines but even abroad. This positive development has not only allowed us to carry more passengers, but also boosted our cargo service,” said Xander Lao, CEB chief commercial officer.
To continue spurring travel, CEB announced a 7.7 sale from July 7 to 11, offering flights for as low as P188 one-way base fare for domestic routes on sale. Travel period is from Sept. 1, 2022, until Jan. 31, 2023.
CEB also offers a simultaneous international seat sale for the same travel period to key destinations for as low as P499 one-way base fare. The sale includes flights to South Korea, Singapore, Hong Kong, Taipei, Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh, Bangkok, among others.
“We remain committed to offering the lowest fares across our network and we are encouraged by past seat sale success rates so we will continue to stimulate travel through our promo fares,” said Lao.
CEB has achieved a 7-star safety rating from airlineratings.com for its COVID-19 compliance. It continues to implement a multi-layered approach to safety, while it operates with a 100 percent fully vaccinated crew.
