Cebu Pacific September Traffic Rises 4.4% to 1.91 Million as Domestic Flyers Offset International Decline

Cebu Pacific carried 1.91 million passengers in September, up 4.4 percent from 1.83 million a year earlier, as domestic growth offset weaker international travel. The Inquirer reported the figures from the airline's disclosure.

Cebu Pacific's September Traffic and Capacity

Domestic passenger traffic rose 7.4 percent to 1.48 million, while international passengers fell 5.1 percent to 424,000. The airline reduced international seat capacity by 11.5 percent to 534,000 and expanded domestic seat capacity by 6.2 percent to 1.75 million.

Company president and chief commercial officer Xander Lao said the carrier has been managing capacity selectively across its international network because of the fuel crisis, aligning seat availability with demand. "Despite September traditionally being a lean travel month in the Philippines, we saw encouraging demand across our domestic network, particularly on key trunk routes," Lao said in a statement.

Domestic load factor rose to 84.7 percent and international load factor improved to 79.3 percent. For the first nine months of 2026, Cebu Pacific carried 20.77 million passengers, up 4.1 percent from 20 million in the same period of 2025. Domestic traffic climbed 5.5 percent to 15.7 million, while international volume was broadly flat at 5.1 million.

Cebu Pacific swung to a P5.89-billion net loss in the first half of 2026, reversing a P8.97-billion profit in the same period last year, as operations came under pressure from soaring fuel prices.

Franchise Renewal and Fleet Additions

The House of Representatives approved on third reading a bill renewing Cebu Pacific's legislative franchise for 50 years, with 289 affirmative votes, BusinessWorld Online reported in October 2026. The airline also received its 15th Airbus A330neo in Manila, its fourth delivery and first wide-body this year, The Manila Times reported. The aircraft raises the share of new-generation aircraft to 78 percent of its jet fleet, supporting a target of an all-NEO fleet by 2030, with seven new aircraft expected in 2026.

Holiday Season Capacity Plans

Cebu Pacific said it would continue to monitor demand with the peak holiday travel season approaching. "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," Lao said.