Low-cost carrier Cebu Pacific Air saw cargo volume and passenger traffic to and from Davao increase in 2015, making it the largest domestic carrier to operate in the Mindanao city.
Cebu Pacific in a statement said handled cargo volume to and from Davao last year grew 17% versus 2014, with the Davao market accounting for more than a fifth of the carrier’s total domestic cargo volume in 2015.
Passenger traffic to and from Davao likewise remained robust, with over 2.15 million passengers carried from January to December 2015. This represented a 4% growth compared to 2014. For the first quarter of 2016, Cebu Pacific flew close to 570,000 passengers, a 13% increase year-on-year.
Cebu Pacific currently runs a total of 128 frequencies and over 52,000 seats—or close to 300 flights—per week between Davao and seven key domestic and international destinations. It is the only carrier to link Davao to four Philippine destinations—Bacolod, Cagayan de Oro, Iloilo, and Zamboanga.
The carrier also recently became the only Philippine airline with international operations out of Davao when it launched twice weekly Davao-Singapore flights in December 2015.
The airline added a third frequency between Davao and Singapore this April, three months after the route was launched, to cater to growing travel demand.
Meanwhile, Cebu Pacific also operates two other nonstop domestic routes—Manila-Davao and Cebu-Davao—where it currently holds a 51% seat share and a 61% seat share, respectively, according to internal estimates.
“Cebu Pacific remains committed to contributing to the local trade and tourism agenda in Davao, by offering the lowest year-round fares for flights to and from this gem of a tourist destination. Davao has emerged as one of our most popular destinations, with an average of 44,000 passengers flown weekly,” Cebu Pacific president and chief executive officer Lance Gokongwei.
“We look forward to helping boost more business and leisure opportunities for the people of Davao, and to enabling more travelers to explore this vibrant Southern capital,” Gokongwei added.
Aside from Davao, Cebu Pacific also operates flights out of five other strategically placed hubs in the Philippines: Manila, Cebu, Clark, Kalibo, and Iloilo. The airline’s network covers over 90 routes and 64 destinations, spanning Asia, Australia, the Middle East, and the U.S.
