Cebu Pacific maintained its dominant position as the Philippines’ top domestic carrier in 2022, according to data released by the Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB). The airline’s market share rose to 57%, up by 5 percentage points from pre-pandemic levels. Cebu Pacific flew close to 13.5 million domestic passengers, a 312% increase from the previous year, while its international operations carried over 1.3 million passengers.
Cebu Pacific flew a total of 14.84 million passengers in 2022, a staggering 335% increase from 2021. The airline’s domestic services accounted for 91% of its passengers, with international services accounting for the remaining 9%. This reflects the post-COVID recovery trend in the Asia-Pacific region, where domestic traffic recovered quickly, while international traffic remained constrained due to ongoing lockdowns in some regions.
Cebu Pacific responded to the surge in demand by making 19.72 million seats available, reaching an impressive 75.3% passenger load factor. The airline is confident of a full recovery and expects to restore 100% of its pre-COVID network and capacity in March. It is also strengthening its main hub at Clark International Airport by adding five aircraft this year to meet growing demand.
Cebu Pacific’s solid fourth quarter in 2022 helped it lead the market, with 4.4 million passengers carried, a 6% increase from the third quarter. The peak holiday season pushed traffic up, mainly as key destinations, including Japan, South Korea, and Thailand, eased their travel restrictions during the quarter. Cebu Pacific also saw a 97% increase in short-haul international destinations and a 14% increase in long-haul destinations in the fourth quarter.
In 2022, Cebu Pacific operated 108,329 flights with an average sector distance of 434 miles. At the end of the year, it was using 76 aircraft, with Airbus A320-family aircraft accounting for 46 of those. The low-cost carrier also operates Airbus A330 and A330neo aircraft, plus ATR 72-500 and 72-600 turboprops.
Cebu Pacific’s CEO Xander Lao said, “Three of the aircraft will be used to re-start the Clark base. The two other aircraft will be used to support overall growth ambitions as CEB recovers fully from the pandemic.” With the easing of restrictions in neighboring countries, Cebu Pacific expects a return of significant numbers of passengers heading to Hong Kong, one of the airline’s largest markets.
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