CEBU PACIFIC will delay resuming its Manila-Beijing flights this year and will instead explore other routes, as travel demand to China has not yet recovered, according to the company’s president.
“No, I think [we will not do] Beijing. We will make the formal announcements, but we are going to be suspending that until further notice,” Cebu Pacific President and Chief Commercial Officer Alexander G. Lao told reporters last week.
Cebu Pacific was initially set to resume its Manila-Beijing route in 2023, but it was deferred to October this year.
“The demand to and from China, at least for us, has not been as robust compared to 2019,” Mr. Lao said.
The airline company previously offered flights to Beijing but stopped offering them due to restrictions imposed during the pandemic.
To date, it offers flights to Guangzhou, Shanghai, Shenzhen, and Xiamen.
Mr. Lao said the company’s plan to increase frequencies on its existing China routes will also be postponed for now.
“We have made a couple of network-related decisions lately. When we take a look at Da Nang and how successful it was, we then take a look at our network and ask what other opportunities are there,” he said.
In 2023, the budget carrier started operating direct Manila-Da Nang, Vietnam flights, three times weekly.
This year, it is also set to operate direct flights between Manila and Chiang Mai, Thailand, due to the market acceptance of its Da Nang route.
The company is exploring newer routes, both international and local, Mr. Lao said, adding that it was able to fly to fresh destinations as part of its redeployment strategy, as China’s market has yet to fully recover.
“Some of the additional flying we are seeing today is because we have reduced some of China [routes] and have redeployed the assets elsewhere. We do not think there will be a quick recovery in China,” he said.
For the year, the company has initially set a target of 24 million passengers, significantly higher than its 2023 passenger volume.
Last year, Cebu Pacific flew over 20 million passengers and operated more than 140,000 flights, representing increases of about 41% and 30%, respectively, from the previous year. — Ashley Erika O. Jose
