Cebu Pacific Achieves Remarkable Growth with 2.2 Million Passengers in June

Cebu Pacific Achieves Remarkable Growth with 2.2 Million Passengers in June

By Bing Jabadan – Thenationweek.com  

July 15, 2025

MANILA, Philippines – Cebu Pacific (CEB) marked a notable achievement last month with 2.2 million passengers, reflecting a solid 7.9 percent increase from the same month last year.

Their growth is particularly impressive given the earlier start of the academic year, which traditionally leads to a decline in travel demand.

Although the seat load factor (SLF) dipped slightly to 87.5 percent from 88.3 percent in June 2024, this was counterbalanced by an 8.8 percent rise in overall seat capacity, underscoring CEB’s dedication to expanding its services.

The airline’s domestic operations remained robust, with a 7.3 percent year-over-year increase in passenger numbers, supported by a 6.8 percent rise in available seats.

This strong performance resulted in an impressive 92.1 percent SLF, highlighting the sustained popularity of domestic travel within the country.

International routes also experienced significant growth, with passenger traffic increasing by 9.7 percent compared to June 2024.

However, a 14.2 percent rise in international seat capacity led to a 3.1 percentage point decline in SLF, which now stands at 76.1 percent.

This indicates potential for further optimization of international services to enhance occupancy rates.

On a broader scale, Cebu Pacific’s performance for the year to date in 2025 is even more striking.

The airline has carried 13.9 million passengers, marking a remarkable 20.8 percent increase from 11.5 million passengers during the same period last year.

Domestic travel saw a growth of 20.4 percent (10.4 million passengers), while international passenger numbers surged by 22.3 percent (3.5 million passengers).

The growth occurred alongside a 20.6 percent rise in overall seat capacity, reaching 16.3 million, resulting in an average SLF of 85.4 percent.

“Despite the earlier academic calendar shift—moving the start of classes from late July last year to mid-June this year—passenger traffic and load factors have remained resilient,” said Xander Lao, President and Chief Commercial Officer of Cebu Pacific.

“The strong domestic demand is evident in the 92 percent load factor, while international traffic has grown over nine percent as we enhance connectivity between cities outside Manila and various international destinations.”

Lao cited the airline’s success in maintaining high load factors amid significant capacity expansion.

“For the first half of 2025, we have seen load factors increase despite over 20 percent growth in seat capacity. This reflects the ongoing strength of air travel demand within our network,” he said.

Cebu Pacific anticipates a slight capacity reduction for the latter half of June due to the onset of the lean travel season.

This strategic adjustment is part of the airline’s proactive management of engine and supply chain challenges.

The airline expects capacity growth to remain steady through the third quarter, with a rebound anticipated in the fourth quarter.

This strategic direction positions Cebu Pacific for ongoing success in an ever-evolving aviation market.