Low-cost carrier Cebu Pacific is boosting the frequency of its Cebu-Narita route from four times a week to a daily flight effective December 1, 2018.
Cebu Pacific said it has also made connections to Narita, Japan simpler and easier from Bacolod, Iloilo, Cagayan de Oro, or Davao through seamless flight schedules as well as one-time check-in for both domestic and international flights.
“Japan is a popular destination among Filipino vacationers. We are giving passengers who hail from the Visayas and Mindanao a more practical and viable option to reach Japan with daily flights from Cebu. This is on top of flights from Manila to Narita, Osaka, Fukuoka and Nagoya,” said Alexander Lao, president and chief executive officer of Cebgo, sister airline of Cebu Pacific.
The Philippines, on the other hand, is a popular destination among Japanese tourists, with data from the Department of Tourism recording 366,649 tourist arrivals from Japan from January to July 2018. An estimated 20,000 Japanese nationals also call the Philippines home, with hundreds of Japanese students choosing to study English here because of its official language status, the country’s geographical proximity to Japan compared with other English-speaking countries, and its relatively low study and living expenses.
“More flight options mean greater flexibility for our customers and easier transfers from Narita to Cebu. Japanese students, expatriates and tourists can now enjoy more attractions the Philippines has to offer through easy connections either to Bacolod, Iloilo, Cagayan de Oro or Davao,” Lao said.
Aside from Cebu, Cebu Pacific flies 14 times weekly between Manila and Narita; five times weekly to and from Nagoya; four times a week between Manila and Osaka; and thrice weekly to and from Fukuoka.
The airline noted that its Japan routes are one of the strongest growth drivers for the company, with passenger volume expanding by an average 52% from April to June 2018 alone. As of the first half of 2018, Cebu Pacific has flown 10.4 million passengers.
