Summary Cebu Pacific surpassed Philippine Airlines to become the largest Filipino airline in 2010. Three international long-haul routes are on offer to Dubai and two airports in Australia. The airline operates a dense seating configuration with 459 all-economy class seats in the Airbus A330-900neo.
Philippine low-cost carrier Cebu Air, commonly known as Cebu Pacific , is based in Manila and was Asia's first Low-Cost Carrier , founded in 1988. Offering scheduled domestic and international flights in an all-economy class layout, the airline has five operating bases in Cebu, Clark, Davao, Iloilo, and Manila. Its low-cost business model has helped develop the airline to offer an extensive local and international network.
The carrier surpassed the nation's flag carrier, Philippine Airlines, in 2010 as the largest Filipino airline, and according to The Diplomat , it will remain the largest carrier in 2023. Philippine Airlines is the largest airline in the Philippines by passengers flown on both international and domestic routes. However, it hasn't had plain sailing.
According to Philstar , the airline has been hotly publicized for frequent flight delays and cancellations and has even seen investigations by the Philippine government based on unsatisfactory service. The carrier is known today for its dense widebody seating configurations. Want answers to more key questions in aviation? Check out the rest of our guides here .
Steady international growth Initially starting scheduled international flights in the 2000s, the airline launched its first foreign link on November 22, 2001, flying from Manila to Hong Kong International Airport . Seoul quickly followed this in March 2002, and Singapore later that year. Throughout the decade, the airline continued to grow its network.
By 2010, the airline started looking further afield and announced plans to commence long-haul international flights to the Middle East, the USA, Australia, and Europe with the AIrbus A330-300. Officially launching its long-haul aspirations took place in October 2013 with a direct service to Dubai. Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport , Australia, was the second link in 2014, followed by Melbourne Airport in 2018, and these remain its three long-haul destinations as of today.
According to ch-aviation , the airline has operated various types of aircraft throughout its history, with former aircraft including Airbus A319, A330-300, ATR 72-500 (transferred to its regional subsidiary Cebgo), Boeing 757-200, and McDonnell Douglas DC-9-30. Through continuous investment, the carrier now operates: Airbus A320-200 Airbus A320neo Airbus A321-200 Airbus A321neo Airbus A321XLR (ten on order) Airbus A330-900neo With Cebu Pacific expecting to close the deal in Q3, the finalized agreement could be announced at the upcoming Farnborough International Airshow. Get all the latest airline route news right here A look at the Cebu Pacific network: This article will look at its operations from Manila Ninoy Aquino International Airport (MNL): Domestic Bacolod, Bacolod, Butuan, Cagayan de Oro, Caticlan, Cauayan, Cebu, Dipolog, Dumaguete, General Santos, Iloilo, Kalibo, Laoag, Legazpi, Ozamiz, Pagadian, Puerto Princesa, Roxas, Tacloban, Tagbilaran, Tuguegarao, Virac, Zamboanga Domestic, served by regional subsidiary Cebgo Busuanga, Caticlan, Cebu, Legazpi, Masbate, Naga, San Jose (Mindoro), Siargao Short-haul Bandar Seri Begawan, Bangkok–Don Mueang, Bangkok–Suvarnabhumi, Chiang Mai (starting October 29, 2024) Da Nang, Davao, Denpasar, Fukuoka, Guangzhou, Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Hong Kong, Jakarta–Soekarno-Hatta, Kaohsiung, Kuala Lumpur–International, Macau, Nagoya–Centrair, Osaka–Kansai, Seoul–Incheon, Shanghai–Pudong, Shenzhen, Singapore, Taipei–Taoyuan, Tokyo–Narita, Xiamen Long-haul Dubai–International, Melbourne, Sydney While the carrier maintains a robust domestically and within Asia, specifically from Manila, Simple Flying analyzed its long-haul network and where to fly on Cebu Pacific on your next trip to Dubai, Melbourne, and Sydney.
Be prepared; its all-economy class configuration can accommodate up to 459 passengers plus crew. Flight times and data are retrieved from flightradar24 . Based on August schedules, all flights are served with the Airbus A330-900neo.
Dubai International Airport (DXB) Cebu Pacific has connected Manila and Dubai International Airport for over a decade since its launch on October 7, 2013. Initially served with the Airbus A330-300, it now sees the Airbus A330-900neo on the route with a daily schedule. Flight times below: 5J 14 departs from Manila at 15:50 and arrives in Dubai at 20:40.
The average flight time is just over eight hours. 5J 15 departs from Dubai at 22:10 and arrives in Manila at 11:40 the next day. The average flight time is almost nine hours.
Cebu Pacific competes directly with Philippine Airlines (once daily), and Emirates (up to three times daily). Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport (SYD) Its second long-haul destination currently served, Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport (SYD), is the airport serving Australia's most populous city and the Australian state of New South Wales. Cebu Pacific operates between Manila and Sydney four times a week to the below schedule: 5J 39 departs Manila at 23:20 and arrives in Sydney at 09:45 the next day.
The average flight time was seven hours and 40 minutes, served on southbound Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Saturday. 5J 40 departs Sydney at 11:15 and arrives in Manila at 17:55. The average flight time is eight hours and operates on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Sunday.
Direct competition on the route comes from Philippine Airlines and Australian flag carrier Qantas . A lot goes on behind the scenes at SYD. Melbourne Tullamarine International Airport (MEL) Serving the state of Victoria, Melbourne Airport (also known as Tullamarine) is one of the busiest international airports in Australia and marks Cebu Pacific's third long-haul route.
The low-cost-carrier operates three times a week: 5J 49 departs Manila at 12:55, arriving in Melbourne at 23:15. The average flight time of seven hours is 30 minutes, and it operates southbound on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Sundays. 5J 50 departs Melbourne at 00:30 and arrives in Manila at 07:15.
The average flight time is seven hours and 50 minutes, and the route operates on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. Competition on the route is provided by Philippine Airlines. Cebu Pacific is adding a fourth weekly A330neo flight to Melbourne from Manilla starting in December.
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