Cebu Pacific has three new routes to and from Clark

CLARK CITY — Gokongwei-led Cebu Pacific on Friday launched three new flights to and from Clark International Airport as part of its aim to stimulate growth in North and Central Luzon.

The budget carrier began the operations of three new flights from Clark to Bacolod, Iloilo and Narita, Japan.

Cebu Pacific is the first Philippine carrier to mount direct flights between Clark and Tokyo.

With the expansion of its route network in the Clark hub, Cebu Pacific will become the largest carrier in Clark in terms of capacity by end-2019, capturing 28% of total number of seats offered by all carriers operating in Clark.

Flights from Clark to Bacolod and Iloilo run daily, while direct service to and from Narita is scheduled four times weekly —Monday, Wednesday, Friday, Sunday.

Cebu Pacific has also earlier announced it will begin flying daily between Clark and Puerto Princesa in Palawan by the fourth quarter of 2019.

These four new routes will boost Cebu Pacific’a total capacity in Clark by 40% in 2019 alone, following a 75% increase in 2018 with the launch of direct commercial air service to and from Davao and Panglao; as well as additional frequency for the Clark-Macau route.

“We have been operating flights in and out of Clark since 2006. The opening of these new routes is a testament of how committed we are to continuously develop this hub—we are not only establishing seamless inter-island connections, but also opening up North Luzon to more potential entrepreneurs, both local and foreign, furthering tourism, trade and investment opportunities in Clark and its surrounding areas,” Lance Gokongwei, president and CEO of Cebu Pacific, said.

From Clark, Cebu Pacific flies to four other domestic destinations namely Cebu, Caticlan, Tagbilaran, Davao; and three other international destinations such as Singapore, Macau and Hong Kong.

“As we aim to fly 200 million passengers by 2020; and 300 million by 2022, trust that we have been and will always keep our customers at the heart of the business. Rest assured, we will continue to cater to the growing travel demand by enabling more Juans to travel conveniently and affordably through our year-round low fares,” Gokongwei said.

The airline expects to receive over 60 aircraft in the next eight years, guaranteeing even greater growth in and out of the Philippines, he said.

Aside from Clark, Cebu Pacific operates flights out of six other strategically placed hubs in the Philippines: Manila, Kalibo, Iloilo, Cebu, Cagayan de Oro (Laguindingan) and Davao.

The carrier operates over 2,000 weekly flights across 37 domestic and 26 international destinations. —NB, GMA News