Philippine carrier Cebu Pacific will mount a direct service between Manila and Melbourne—its second destination in Australia—starting August 14, 2018.
The thrice-a-week service (Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays) will have a special promo fare of P2,199, valid for travel from August 14 to October 31, 2018. After the seat sale, year-round low fares between Manila and Melbourne start as low as P9,539, about 50% to 60% lower than the prevailing fares of other airlines, said Cebu Pacific in a statement.
The August 14 launch, however, is still subject to regulatory approval, the airline added.
“We share the excitement of the Filipino community in Melbourne and Australian travelers who want to experience the Philippines. The launch of our service between Melbourne and Manila will give travelers from Australia seamless connections to other destinations in the Philippines at year-round low fares. This will enable Filipinos living in the Melbourne area to visit their families more often, and encourage more Australian tourists to spend their holidays in the Philippines,” Cebu Pacific vice president for marketing and distribution Candice Iyog said.
“More importantly, we hope to strengthen trade between the Philippines and Australia through more cargo capacity on direct flights that are more affordable. This will benefit importers and exporters, as well as retailers bringing products in both countries,” Iyog added.
The Manila-Melbourne service is Cebu Pacific’s second destination in Australia following the launch of its direct Manila-Sydney route in 2014.
Cebu Pacific said that since its entry in 2014, tourist arrivals from the Philippines have become one of the fastest growing source markets for Australia. Before then, Filipino tourist arrivals to Australia numbered about 70,000, steadily climbing to over 120,000 for an average 16% growth over the past four years.
“The opening of the Manila-Melbourne route is a testament to growing trade and people-to-people links. Melbourne is a great city to explore and increased flights will also bring more Australian tourists to the Philippines. This will also be welcome news to a quarter of a million Filipinos who now call Australia home, and the more than 10,000 students who travel there each year,” said Amanda Gorely, Ambassador of the Commonwealth of Australia to the Philippines.
Cebu Pacific is the only low-cost carrier flying directly between the Philippines and Australia.
The airline said its second service to Australia leads it on another expansion path across the region, further boosting a network that now spans over 106 routes on 37 domestic and 26 international destinations.
