CEBU PACIFIC carried more passengers in the first nine months of 2026, although its seat occupancy declined as the budget carrier expanded capacity faster than passenger traffic.
In a statement on Thursday, Cebu Air, Inc., the operator of Cebu Pacific, reported that passenger traffic rose by 4.1% to 20.77 million from 19.95 million in the same period last year.
The airline’s seat load factor, which measures the percentage of available seats occupied by passengers, declined by 2.7 percentage points to 82.1% from 84.8% a year earlier.
The decline came as Cebu Pacific increased its available seat capacity by 7.6% to 25.30 million from 23.52 million in the comparable period.
Domestic passengers reached 15.7 million in the January-to-September period, while international passenger traffic stood at 5.06 million.
For September alone, total passenger traffic increased by 4.4% to 1.91 million from 1.83 million a year earlier.
Domestic passenger traffic grew by 7.4% to 1.48 million, while international passenger volume declined by 5.1% to 424,000 from 446,000.
Despite the decline in international passenger traffic, Cebu Pacific’s overall seat load factor for September improved to 83.5% from 81.1% a year earlier, reflecting stronger seat occupancy during the month.
“Despite September traditionally being a lean travel month in the Philippines, we saw encouraging demand across our domestic network, particularly on key trunk routes. Internationally, we continued to manage capacity selectively in response to elevated fuel prices,” Cebu Pacific President and Chief Commercial Officer Alexander G. Lao said.
Mr. Lao said the airline would continue adjusting its capacity in response to demand and operating conditions ahead of the holiday season.
“As we approach the holiday season, we will maintain a disciplined approach to matching capacity with demand, while retaining the flexibility to adjust our network in response to fuel prices and evolving market conditions. Our focus remains on providing affordable and reliable travel,” he said.
Cebu Air earlier reported a second-quarter attributable net loss of P5.49 billion, reversing an attributable net income of P8.51 billion in the same period last year, as expenses outpaced revenue growth.
At the local bourse on Thursday, Cebu Air shares declined by 1.7%, or 40 centavos, to close at P23.10 apiece. — Ashley Erika O. Jose