CLARK FREEPORT – “We welcome competition.”
Thus said Candice Iyog, vice president for marketing and distribution of Cebu Pacific Air, when asked about the new local and international flights offered by at least three airlines at the Clark International Airport (CIA).
“This is good, especially for the market. Passengers will have several choices. It will keep everyone (in the aviation industry) on their toes,” added Iyog.
Cebu Pacific made Clark its 4th hub in the country in 2006, offering flights to Cebu. Two years later, the Gokongwei-owned airline launched flights to regional destinations Macau, Hong Kong, Singapore and Bangkok in Thailand.
Iyog said they will look into adding routes via Clark. Cebu Pacific and the Clark International Airport Corp. (CIAC) earlier this year sponsored chartered flights to Shanghai, China but had stopped.
“There is no timetable yet on the new route via Clark,” she said, adding that they could only divulge the new routes “when they are officially announced.”
Cebu Pacific is regarded as the largest airline in the country, operating more than 2,000 flights weekly. It has a total of 32 domestic and international destinations.
The airline recently launched flights to Hanoi in Vietnam, Siem Reap in Cambodia, Xiamen in China and a Hong Kong-Boracay route.
Iyog said they are preparing for long-haul flights scheduled in the third quarter of 2013, eyeing flights to the USA, Australia and Europe.
Cebu Pacific carried the most number of passengers in 2011, servicing at least 12 million.
In the first quarter of 2012, Cebu Pacific had 3.37 million passengers or 20.1 percent higher compared to the same period last year.
Competing Philippines AirAsia is set to launch flights to Macau and Hong Kong on July 19 while Dragonair started daily flights to Hong Kong last May 29 and AirPhil Express has destinations in Singapore and Hong Kong.
