Cebu Pacific Flies 2.7M Passengers, Up 6.2% in January
Cebu Pacific carried more than 2.7 million passengers in January 2026, marking a 6.2 percent increase from the same month a year earlier, as the Philippine low-cost carrier pushed ahead with an aggressive expansion strategy despite a slight softening in aircraft occupancy rates.
The country’s largest budget airline said it flew 2.73 million passengers in January, up from 2.573 million in January 2025, according to its disclosure to the Philippine Stock Exchange on February 13. The growth came as the airline expanded total seat capacity by 9.9 percent, signalling confidence in sustained demand at home and across its regional network.
Even with the additional seats, the airline maintained a system seat load factor of 83.6 percent, down from 86.5 percent a year earlier but still considered healthy within the industry.
International Demand Outpaces Domestic Growth
The January figures show strengthening momentum in international markets. Cebu Pacific flew nearly 721,000 international passengers, a 9.4 percent increase from January 2025, outpacing the 5.1 percent rise in domestic travellers, which reached just over 2 million passengers.
International capacity rose sharply, pushing available seat kilometres up 10.7 percent year on year. Revenue passenger kilometres — a measure of actual paying demand — increased 6 percent, suggesting that while demand continues to grow, it has not fully matched the carrier’s faster pace of seat deployment.
Load factors reflected that imbalance. International seat load factor dipped to 80.7 percent, from 85.1 percent the year before, while domestic load factor stood at 84.7 percent.
Still, company leadership framed the results as evidence of market resilience.
Xander Lao, Cebu Pacific’s president and chief commercial officer, said: “Cebu Pacific’s strong January 2026 performance demonstrates the resilience of underlying travel demand and the effectiveness of our capacity deployment strategy. The increase in passenger volumes across both domestic and international segments highlights the market’s confidence in our network and value proposition. As we continue to optimize fleet utilization and expand seat supply, we remain confident in our ability to capture growth opportunities, enhance operational efficiency, and deliver sustained value to our customers and stakeholders.”
Expansion Backed by Fleet Growth
The airline currently operates a fleet of 100 aircraft serving 37 domestic and 26 international destinations. It expects to take delivery of seven new aircraft in 2026, reinforcing its growth plans.
Chief Executive Officer Mike Szucs said the airline anticipates sustaining “similar growth levels in 2026,” supported by the incoming aircraft.
The expansion follows a robust full-year performance in 2025, when Cebu Pacific carried nearly 27 million passengers, up 9.5 percent from 24.5 million in 2024. January’s figures suggest that momentum has carried into the new year, traditionally buoyed by residual holiday travel and overseas family visits.
Strategic Shift to Clark Airport
Part of Cebu Pacific’s 2026 roadmap includes the relocation of its turboprop operations from Manila’s congested Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) to Clark International Airport by March 29. The shift will allow the airline to deploy more jet services on nine domestic and two international routes, relieving pressure at the capital’s primary gateway while strengthening its secondary hub.
The redeployment reflects broader government efforts to manage airport congestion and stimulate regional development. It also positions Clark as a more prominent northern hub, potentially redistributing passenger flows beyond Metro Manila.
Balancing Growth and Efficiency
The slight decline in system-wide seat load factor — down 2.9 percentage points year on year — will be closely watched by investors. In aviation, load factor acts much like a barometer: when planes fly with fewer empty seats, profitability potential increases. A dip can signal either softening demand or an airline moving faster than the market can absorb.
Cebu Pacific emphasised that its 83.6 percent load factor reflects continued demand absorption despite expanded supply.
For consumers, the implications may prove favourable. Increased capacity typically intensifies fare competition, particularly across heavily travelled domestic routes and within Southeast Asia. For overseas Filipino workers, families, and business travellers, more seats often translate into more flexible schedules and, potentially, lower fares.
Regional Connectivity and Economic Ripple Effects
Stronger passenger volumes carry broader economic weight. Expanded air links support tourism flows, hotel occupancy, airport employment, and regional trade. Secondary cities such as Cebu, Davao and Iloilo benefit from improved connectivity, while international growth strengthens commercial ties across ASEAN markets.
The airline’s compliance with regulatory oversight from the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines remains critical as it scales. Capacity additions, route realignments and new aircraft deliveries require certification, slot approvals and operational coordination with transport authorities.
For now, the numbers paint a picture of an airline pressing ahead — adding seats faster than passengers but keeping its aircraft largely full. Like a carrier accelerating down a runway, Cebu Pacific appears committed to lift its growth trajectory further in 2026, betting that demand will continue to rise to meet its ambitions.
