Cebu Pacific adds flights to Asian destinations as restrictions ease

BUDGET carrier Cebu Pacific, operated by Cebu Air, Inc., announced on Thursday that it is increasing its international network beginning this month by adding more flights to eight Asian destinations.

The airline said its decision is based on the “continuous easing of COVID (coronavirus) restrictions for travelers.”

“Starting June 1, flights from Manila to Bangkok will operate up to five times weekly; to Kuala Lumpur up to three times weekly; to Hanoi up to twice weekly; to Ho Chi Minh up to four times weekly; to Osaka up to three times weekly; while daily flights to Seoul (Incheon) from Manila will be available,” it said.

“Flights to Nagoya, Japan will also increase from four times weekly to five times weekly starting June 29,” it added.

At the same time, the airline said it intends to double its Manila – Singapore frequency as it operates twice daily flights starting July 1.

The company plans to resume its weekly flights to Sydney, Australia in July.

Meanwhile, the airline’s first international flight from its Cebu hub — Cebu to Seoul (Incheon) — is expected to take place on July 3.

“We are happy to continuously see green shoots related to international travel as more countries open their borders, while others such as Bangkok, Malaysia, Singapore, and Vietnam completely dropped pre-departure COVID-19 tests for fully vaccinated individuals,” Cebu Pacific Chief Commercial Officer Xander Lao said.

“As we anticipate demand to pick up, we will continue to boost our flight frequencies to enable our passengers to fly easy across our network — whether for a vacation or simply to visit family and friends, after such a long time,” he added. — Arjay L. Balinbin