MANILA, Philippines – Cebu Pacific Air (Cebu Pacific) went on its maiden flight from Cebu to Narita in Tokyo, Japan, Thursday, March 26, kicking off its fourth route to that country.
Utilizing Cebu Pacific’s brand new Airbus A320, the Cebu-Narita route is operated every Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday, and Sunday.
It departs Cebu at 5:55 am and arrives in Tokyo at 11:20 am.
The return flight departs Narita at 12:05 pm and arrives in Cebu at 4:25 pm.
In 2008, Cebu Pacific started flying to Osaka; in 2014, it launched its direct flights from Manila to Narita and Nagoya.
A month after launching its direct flights to Japan last year, the Japan National Tourism Organization indicated that the Philippines was one of its fastest growing sources of foreign visitor arrivals.
“We look forward to welcoming even more Japanese tourists to Cebu, which is located at the center of the Philippines. It is an island destination known for its beaches, mangoes, snorkeling, diving, food, and culture,” Cebu Pacific Vice President for Marketing and Distribution Candice Iyog said.
The Cebu-Narita service is expected to boost tourist arrivals in Cebu and Tokyo – so far the only low-cost carrier operating this route.
Year-round fares start at P7,388 ($164.75) with no fuel surcharges.
Also this March, Cebu Pacific announced its flight to Doha, Qatar, starting June 4, while it is suspending its Dammam service effective March 30.
Soaring net income
Cebu Pacific operates the most flights out of Mactan-Cebu International Airport.
It also flies direct from Cebu to Hong Kong and Singapore.
From Cebu, Cebu Pacific also flies to 22 other Philippine destinations like Boracay, Palawan, and Siargao.
“Coupled with seat sales, this new route will make Japan more accessible to those coming from Central and Southern Philippines,” Iyog added.
Cebu Pacific reported on Wednesday, March 26, that its net income rose to 66.7%, following an increase in passenger volume and revenue.
In a stock filing, Cebu Pacific said it hit P853.5 million ($19.04 million) in 2014, versus P511.95 million ($11.42 million) in 2013.
Revenues hit P52 billion ($1.16 billion), up 26.8%, bolstered by a 17.5% growth in passenger volume.
Passenger sales grew 27% to P40.2 billion ($896.05 million) last year.
Strong demand gave room for increased ticket rates, with average fare rising 8% to P2,382 ($53.09) in 2014, Cebu Pacific reported. – Rappler.com
US$1 = P44.87
Nighttime view of Tokyo Tower image via Shutterstock
There are no comments yet. Add your comment to start the conversation.