CLARK FREEPORT, Pampanga –Cebu Pacific led by its President Lance Gokongwei and Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade on Friday inaugurated the three newest flights out of Clark International Airport (CRK) namely to Bacolod, Iloilo and Narita, Japan.
In his speech, Gokongwei said CebPac is the first Philippine carrier to mount direct flights between Clark and Tokyo.
He said 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.
Tugade for his part said the opening of the new routes out of Clark particularly the Clark-Narita flight opens an opportunities for Clark International Airport, which is now among Asia’s fastest-growing airports, with its continuous expansion of flight availability, number of destinations and increase in annual passenger volume.
“Today, we are all happy because we are commemorating three flights: Iloilo, Bacolod and Narita. These are the places as the city of love, city of smiles and the city of business. If we can sum it all up in one sentence, Cebu Pacific is full of love and smiles in its quest in the skies for business. Today’s inauguration is a game changer, as so far as Clark is concerned,” Secretary Tugade said.
These new direct air services will also harness the potential of Clark as the next investment center of Asia.
“With the direct connection between Clark and another large metropolis, Tokyo, it will enable easier access for tourist, investors and, most importantly, the Filipino workers and migrants from Japan, to come home more easily. With the expansion of our domestic route network from Clark, it will be easier to visit Visayas and Mindanao. We are committed to expanding our Clark hub. Clark can able to give everyone more travel options,” Gokongwei said.
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).
The carrier has also earlier announced that it will begin flying daily between Clark and Puerto Princesa in Palawan by the fourth quarter of 2019.
He furthered that four new routes will boost CEB’s 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 (Bohol); 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,” Gokongwei said.
Cebu Pacific flies to four other domestic destinations (Cebu, Caticlan, Tagbilaran, Davao); and three other international destinations (Singapore, Macau and Hong Kong) to and from Clark.
“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 added.
The airline expects to receive over 60 aircraft in the next eight years, guaranteeing even greater growth in and out of the Philippines.
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. CEB operates over 2,000 weekly flights across 37 domestic and 26 international destinations.