Cebu Pacific

Infobox Airline
airline=Cebu Pacific
logo=Cebu Pacific logo.jpg
fleet_size= 21 (+17 orders, 18 options)
destinations=42
IATA=5J
ICAO=CEB
callsign=CEBU AIR
parent =JG Summit Holdings, Inc.
founded=1996 (as Cebu Air)
headquarters=Pasay City, Philippines
key_people=John Gokongwei, Jr. (Chairman Emeritus), Ricardo J. Romulo (Chairman), Lance Gokongwei (President and CEO)
hubs=

*Mactan-Cebu International Airport
*Ninoy Aquino International Airport (Manila)

focus_cities=

*Diosdado Macapagal International Airport (Angeles City)
*Francisco Bangoy International Airport (Davao)

company_slogan=It's time everyone flies!
website= http://www.cebupacificair.com

Cebu Air, Inc., operating as Cebu Pacific Air, is a low-cost airline based in Pasay City, Manila, the Philippines. It is one of the Philippines' national flag carriers, offering scheduled flights to both domestic and international destinations. Cebu Pacific Air is currently the country's leading domestic carrier, servicing the most domestic destinations with the largest number flights and routes, and equipped with the youngest fleet. Its main base is Ninoy Aquino International Airport, Manila, with another hub at Mactan-Cebu International Airport, Francisco Bangoy International Airportcite news | title= Directory: World Airlines | work= Flight International | page= 62 | date= 2007-04-03] and a pending application to make Diosdado Macapagal International Airport its fourth hub. [ [http://www.cebupacificair.com/aboutus/press/2007/06192007.html "CEB eyes Clark"] ]

The airline is a wholly-owned subsidiary of JG Summit Holdings, controlled by the Gokongwei family - one of the richest Filipino-Chinese families based in the Philippines. Cebu Pacific is currently headed by Lance Gokongwei, presumptive heir of John Gokongwei, the chairman emeritus of JG Summit. The company has 1,182 employees (as of March 2007).

History

. By the end of 2001, its operations has grown to about 80 daily flights to 18 domestic destinations.

In the 2000s, Cebu Pacific was granted rights to operate international flights to the region, including Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore, Thailand, South Korea, Hong Kong, and Guam. International flights were launched on November 22 2001 with a twice daily service to Hong Kong. [ [http://www.cebupacificair.com/aboutus/press/2001/2001-11-22.html "Cebu Pacific Flies to Hongkong"] ] On March 1 2002, it commenced thrice weekly flights to Seoul. [ [http://www.cebupacificair.com/aboutus/press/2002/2002-03-02.htm " Cebu Pacifc takes off for Seoul"] ] Other regional flights were introduced and suspended later, however, including flights to Singapore (from 6 November 2002 to January 2003) and from Manila via Subic to Seoul (from December 2002) due in part to the effects of the SARS epidemic. [Citation
url=http://www.cebupacificair.com/aboutus/press/2003/02142003.html
title=Flying between Subic Seoul
publisher=Cebu Pacific
accessdate=2008-03-31]

The airline resumed its Manila to Singapore flights on August 31,2006 [ [http://www.cebupacificair.com/aboutus/press/2006/07192006.html "Flies Manila-Singapore"] ] and launched its direct flight from Cebu to Singapore on October 23, 2006, the first low-cost airline to serve the Cebu-Singapore-Cebu sector, [ [http://www.cebupacificair.com/aboutus/press/2006/09052006a.html "Cebu Pacific Flies direct flight to Singapore from Cebu"] ] and in direct competition with Singapore Airlines' subsidiary SilkAir and Qatar Airways, CEB is now be the only Philippine carrier serving the Cebu-Singapore-Cebu route after PAL terminated its direct service. The airline operates direct flights from Cebu to Hong Kong which commenced October 2, 2006, which also made CEB the only Philippine carrier to serve a Cebu-Hong Kong-Cebu route after PAL terminated its direct service and is now code sharing with Cathay Pacific for this route. [Citation
url=http://www.cebupacificair.com/aboutus/press/2006/08082006a.html
title=Cebu Pacific Flies from Cebu to Hongkong
accessdate=2008-03-31]

In May 2005 Cebu Pacific received two Airbus A320 aircraft on lease from CIT Leasing and operated its first service with the new aircraft on 3 June 2005 from Manila to Davao City.

In December 2006, after a month or two of operating the new direct flights, Cebu Pacific announced that it would increase flight frequency for its Cebu-Hong Kong-Cebu from four to five times weekly and Cebu-Singapore-Cebu flights from four to six weekly effective 25 January 2007. As of January 2008, it operates regional flights to Busan, Hong Kong, Singapore, Seoul-Incheon, Taipei and Bangkok beginning April 6, 2008 from its Cebu hub; and Bangkok, Guangzhou, Hong Kong, Jakarta, Kuala Lumpur, Macau, Singapore, Taipei, Seoul-Incheon, Shanghai and Xiamen from Manila.

Cebu Pacific's plans to begin international flights from Angeles-Clark Diosdado Macapagal International Airport (DMIA) were initially unsuccessful when its request was denied. The nations involved came to an agreement that Cebu Pacific would be only allowed to operate charter flights from Clark to the respective countries airport(s). Only Singapore initially agreed to allow Cebu Pacific to fly scheduled flights from Diosdado Macapagal International Airport to Singapore. [ [http://www.cebupacificair.com/aboutus/press/2007/10222007b.html "Lack of reciprocal flight privileges keeps Cebu Pacific international flights grounded at Clark"] ] Currently Cebu Pacific only operates a route from Diosdado Macapagal International Airport to Cebu, but has since announced that it will be commencing international flights from Manila- Clark to Hong Kong, Macau and Singapore from November 2008 as well as domestic flights from Manila-Clark to Cebu. [ [http://www.cebupacificair.com/aboutus/press/2006/10202006a.html "Cebu Pacific now flying Cebu – Clark"] ]

In June, 2007, Cebu Pacific announced an order of up to 14 brand new ATR-72-500 aircraft, with six firm orders and eight options. It plans to initially offer flights to Boracay, using Boracay's Godofredo P. Ramos Airport. [ [http://www.cebupacificair.com/aboutus/press/2007/05202007.html "Cebu Pacific orders up to 14 brand new ATR72-500 aircraft"] ]

On November 12, 2007, Cebu Pacific announced Davao's Francisco Bangoy International Airport as its fourth hub. Cebu Pacific announced that it would initially fly internationally from Davao to Singapore, Hong Kong and fly one domestic flight to Iloilo. Both direct services from Davao to Singapore and Iloilo commenced on May 8, 2008 while the service to Hong Kong commenced on May 9, 2008. [cite press release|url=http://www.cebupacificair.com/aboutus/press/2007/11122007.html|title=Cebu Pacific to make Davao its 3rd hub|publisher=Cebu Pacific|date=2007-11-12|accessdate=2007-11-12]

In late 2007, Cebu Pacific mentioned that it is aiming to cross the Pacific and launch non-stop flights to the United States West Coast, Houston, Texas and Chicago, Illinois by mid 2009. [cite news | title= Directory: CebuPac’s next meal: Regional, US routes | url=http://www.manilastandardtoday.com/?page=business5_sept17_2007] .

On 18th December 2007, Cebu Pacific announced that it would exercise options on its recent ATR-72-500 turboprop order (initially six firm) to increase its firm order to 10.

On February 19, 2008, Cebu Pacific Air received its first delivery of its brand new ATR 72-500 from Toulouse, France and expected to take delivery of another five ATRs from March to December of 2008 . [Citation
url=http://www.cebupacificair.com/aboutus/press/2008/02192008a.html
title=Cebu Pacific takes delivery of first ATR 72-500 aircraft
publisher=Cebu Pacific
accessdate=2008-03-22] The initial two ATRs fly on routes such as Cebu to Bacolod.

Cebu Pacific Air took delivery of its 16th brand-new Airbus, a 179-seater A320 aircraft from Toulouse, France last March 20, 2008. The arriving aircraft is supporting CEB's expanding international and domestic operations which include flights to 12, soon to be 15, international destinations. [Citation
url=http://www.cebupacificair.com/aboutus/press/2008/03192008.html
title=Cebu Pacific expects new Airbus arrival
accessdate=2008-03-29]

On May 28, 2008, Cebu Pacific was named as the world's number one airline in terms of growth. The airline was also ranked 5th in Asia for Budget Airline passengers transported and 23rd in the world. The airline carried a total of almost 5.5 million passengers in 2007, up 57.4 per cent from 2006 [ [http://au.news.yahoo.com/080528/3/171ia.html " Philippines Budget Carrier Cebu Pacific Is World No. 1 In Growth"] ]

On 22 July 2008, Cebu Pacific was the first airline to use the new terminal 3 of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport with its flight to Caticlan being the first to depart at 0515 local time. On August 1, 2008, it moved its international operations to the terminal thus becoming the first airline to have regular international commercial flights from the new terminal.

Destinations

Cebu Pacific flies to 27 domestic destinations, and to 15 international destinations in 10 countries.

New routes

Cebu

*Thrice weekly service to Ozamiz City, Misamis Occidental, begins November 10 2008.cite press release|url=http://cebupacificair.com/aboutus/press/2008/08282008.html|title=Cebu Pacific adds more destinations from Cebu hub|publisher=Cebu Pacific|date=2008-08-28|accessdate=2008-08-28]
*Four times weekly service to Surigao City, Surigao del Norte, begins November 13 2008.

Manila

*Thrice weekly service to Osaka, Japan, begins November 20 2008. [cite press release|url=http://cebupacificair.com/aboutus/press/2008/09152008.html|title=Cebu Pacific flies Manila-Osaka|publisher=Cebu Pacific|date=2008-09-15|accessdate=2008-09-15]

Angeles City

*Once daily service to Hong Kong, China, begins November 8 2008.cite press release|url=http://cebupacificair.com/aboutus/press/2008/09032008.html|title=Cebu Pacific starts Clark Hub on November 8|publisher=Cebu Pacific|date=2008-09-03|accessdate=2008-09-03]
*Once daily service to Singapore, begins November 8 2008.
*Three times weekly service to Bangkok, Thailand, begins November 8 2008.
*Four times weekly service to Macau, China, begins November 9 2008.

Fleet

The average Cebu Pacific fleet is less than 20 months old as of March 2008 because of the newly delivered ATR-72. Cebu Pacific is also studying the feasibility of an all-economy configuration of the Airbus A340 to be used in future possible West Coast routes. [cite news | title= Directory: CebuPac’s next meal: Regional, US routes | url=http://www.manilastandardtoday.com/?page=business5_sept17_2007] .

After the route-proving landing of the Airbus A380 MSN009 aircraft at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport in Manila last October 11 2007, the low-cost carrier has shown interest in acquiring the double-decker aircraft, but the carrier is still waiting for the delivery of the 20 Airbus A320 aircraft it ordered. [cite news | title= Airbus A380 lands in Manila | url=http://www.tmcnet.com/usubmit/2007/10/11/3009494.htm] If the order for the A380 were to go through, these would make flights to the US more feasible, as an all economy A380 could hold up to 853 passengers and therefore bring down costs. [cite news | title= Directory: CebuPac’s next meal: Regional, US routes | url=http://www.manilastandardtoday.com/?page=business5_sept17_2007]

In April 2005, Cebu Pacific signed a joint venture agreement with SIA Engineering Company for the maintenance of the Airbus A319 and A320 aircraft. The new company, called Aviation Partnership (Philippines) Corporation, is co-owned by SIA Engineering Ltd. and Cebu Pacific.

On 13 March 2007, Cebu Pacific announced an order of 10 Airbus A320, plus 10 options. The firm orders are for delivery from 2010 - 2012, while the options are for delivery from 2011 - 2013. In order to bridge the gap from now until the first delivery in 2010, CEB will be taking short to medium term leases on Airbus A320 aircraft. 4 will be leased in 2008, with a further 3-4 being leased in 2009.

On the 18th of December, Cebu Pacific announced that they have ordered an additional 4 ATR-72-500 turboprop aircraft. This order increases their order of ATR-72 aircraft from 6 firm plus 8 options to 10 firm plus 8 options.

By the end of 2008, Cebu Pacific will have a fleet of 25 aircraft after the four leased A320 planes and six ATRs are delivered in 2008. [http://www.forbes.com/afxnewslimited/feeds/afx/2007/12/18/afx4451048.html "Philippines' Cebu Pacific to by 4 more ATR turbo-prop planes"] ]

Current

Retired

Partnerships

Cebu Pacific is the only Philippine-based member airline of Northwest Airlines' WorldPerks award travel program. WorldPerks offers regular travelers the ability to obtain free tickets, First Class upgrades on flights, or other types of rewards. As of August 1 2006 Northwest and Cebu Pacific no longer have a mileage accrual agreement, although WorldPerks miles may still be redeemed on Cebu Pacific. As of January 26 2008, Northwest Airlines has temporarily suspended their partnership with Cebu Pacific, due to the FAA Category 2 downgrading.

The airline is also partnering with Metrobank Card Corporation for its "Go! Mastercard" credit card which offers frequent flyer reward points.

Incidents and Accidents

*On February 2, 1998, Cebu Pacific Flight 387, a DC-9-32 travelling from Manila to Cagayan de Oro, crashed on the slopes of Mount Sumagaya in Misamis Oriental, killing all 104 people on board. The crash was one of the country's worst air tragedies. Aviation investigators deemed the incident to be caused by pilot error when the plane made a non-regular stopover to Tacloban. Flight 387 was supposed to be a direct flight but due to the stopover, the pilots were not familiar with the route.
*On May 3, 2006 at 9:15 am, Cebu Pacific Flight 393, a Douglas DC-9 from Davao, was on final approach on Runway 27 at Zamboanga International Airport. After touchdown, the left main gear of the aircraft burst. None of the 100 passengers were injured. However, the aircraft was stuck on the runway, forcing the airport to be closed for 23 hours. All flights to and from Zamboanga were canceled or rerouted.

External links

* [http://www.cebupacificair.com Cebu Pacific Air official website]
* [http://www.planespotters.net/Airline/CEBU-Pacific-Air?show=current#Fleet_Details Cebu Pacific Fleet Detail]
* [http://www.cebusmile.com Smile inflight magazine]

References