CEB is pushing for more flights to Australia, India and Hong Kong

CEBU PACIFIC, operated by Cebu Air, Inc. (CEB), is seeking to expand air service agreements between the Philippines and Australia, India and Hong Kong amid rising travel demand, the budget carrier’s president said.

“We made our wish list… Korea was one of them. Hong Kong is actually a different country. By the way, part of our wish list was India. The other country where we have said there is a need for bilateral expansion is Australia,” Alexander G. Lao, president and chief commercial officer of Cebu Pacific, told reporters at a recent event.

This is part of the company’s expansion plans, he said.

“Currently, seat rights for Australia are fully distributed among the Philippine airlines. So if we want to expand to the main cities of Sydney, Melbourne, Perth and Brisbane, we can’t. There must be a bilateral change,” he added.

According to the website of the Australian Embassy in the Philippines, the agreement between Australia and the Philippines allows airlines to offer up to 4,000 seats each way, which can be increased to 6,000 per week depending on demand between the four main destinations of Australia: Brisbane, Melbourne, Perth and Sydney – and Manila and Clark.

Mr Lao noted that the right of seat between the country and Australia is fully exhausted only on the Philippine side.

“Obviously we had asked the Philippine government to see if we could request air talks. In fact, requests have been made,” he said.

Mr Lao said while Cebu Pacific has no immediate plans to increase its frequencies in India, the airline wants more seat rights for future plans.

In July, the Department of Transportation announced that the Philippines and South Korea signed a bilateral air services agreement that will allow for an increase in seat privileges for flights between the two countries.

Under the new agreement, the Philippines and South Korea will receive an additional 10,000 seats per week, bringing the total to 30,000 from the existing capacity of 20,000.

Earlier, Cebu Pacific said it would benefit from increased weekly seat capacity between the country and South Korea.

“One of the ways we can actually increase our presence in Korea is by upgrading aircraft, whether that’s the case [Airbus] 321 to 330; that’s one way. We are looking at some destinations in Korea, but it is in the feasibility study stage,” Mr Lao said.

“I think the expansion of bilateral agreements is important. It gives airlines the opportunity to expand; We couldn’t have done it without that. So obviously it is a very good deal between the Philippines and Korea,” he added.

Cebu Pacific also said it is launching flights to Hong Kong from Davao, while also reviving its direct flights from Iloilo to Singapore, the company said in a separate press release.

The airline said it will start flying between Davao and Hong Kong four times a week on October 27: every Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday.

It will also operate flights to Singapore from Iloilo three times a week starting November 25: every Monday, Wednesday and Friday. — Ashley Erika O Jose