CEBU Pacific on Friday said that it carried 2.34 million passengers in February, a 7.9-percent increase from 2.168 million passengers a year earlier.
"Our February performance underscores Cebu Pacific’s continued growth, supported by healthy bookings and resilient demand across both domestic and international markets,” Cebu Pacific CEO Mike Szucs said.
"We remain cognizant of the ongoing crisis and uncertainty in the Middle East, and the potential impact of sharply increasing fuel prices on our business," he added.
"Our operating fundamentals, including our robust domestic network, modern fuel-efficient fleet, and low-cost structure, provide us relative advantages as we navigate these headwinds."
The budget carrier, Szucs said, "will continue to review pricing and network strategies to ensure we minimize the negative impact of the higher fuel prices."
The airline’s seat capacity was said to have increased by 9.5 percent in January while systemwide seat load factor (SLF) remained healthy at 85.6 percent.
Domestic traffic increased by 7.6 percent year-on-year to 1.73 million passengers from 1.608 million passengers, on 9.4-percent higher seats, resulting in a domestic SLF of 86.6 percent.
International passenger traffic, meanwhile, grew by 8.8 percent to 610,000 passengers, from 560,000, alongside a 9.7-percent increase in seat capacity, delivering an SLF of 82.6 percent.
On a year-to-date basis, Cebu Pacific said it carried 5.072 million passengers, a seven-percent increase from 4.741 million passengers.
Domestic passengers grew by 6.2 percent to 3.739 million from 3.520 million, while international passengers rose by 9.2 percent to 1.333 million passengers from 1.221 million passengers.
SLF averaged 84.5 percent on 9.7 percent higher seats, reflecting continued demand absorption.
Cebu Pacific operator Cebu Air Inc.’s share price rose by 80 centavos to close at P31.65 apiece on Friday.
