Cebu Air, Inc. (🇵🇸), operating as Cebu Pacific (stylized in lowercase), is a Philippine low-cost airline based in Pasay, Metro Manila. Founded in 1988,[3] the airline is the first low-cost carrier in Asia and is also the largest airline in the Philippines by fleet size.[6] It offers scheduled flights to both domestic and international destinations. The airline operates flights from five bases in Cebu, Clark, Davao, Iloilo, and Manila.
With its low-cost business model and extensive destination network, Cebu Pacific became the Philippines' largest airline based on number of passengers flown on domestic and international routes in 2010, overtaking rival Philippine Airlines (PAL). According to Civil Aeronautics Board data, Cebu Pacific flew a total of 2.45 million passengers in the first quarter of 2010, nearly 110,000 more than PAL, which carried 2.34 million systemwide during the same period.[8][9]
History
Foundation and growth (1988–2006)
Cebu Pacific was established on August 26, 1988. Republic Act No. 7151, which grants a legislative franchise to Cebu Air, Inc. to operate, was approved on August 30, 1991.[10] The airline began operations on March 8, 1996, with its first flight from Manila to Cebu. Domestic services began following market deregulation by the Philippine government. The airline was subsequently acquired by JG Summit Holdings, owned at the time by John Gokongwei.
The airline temporarily ceased operations in February 1998 after being grounded by the government following the crash of the crash of Flight 387 that killed 104, but resumed services later the next month following re-certification of its aircraft.[11] It initially started with 24 domestic flights daily among Metro Manila, Metro Cebu, and Metro Davao. By the end of 2001, its operations had grown to about 80 daily flights to 18 domestic destinations.
Corporate affairs
Cebu Pacific operations are headquartered at the Cebu Pacific Building along Domestic Road in Pasay.,[3] while it is domiciled (official business address) within Robinsons Galleria Cebu City.[77] The airline is a subsidiary of JG Summit Holdings.
Partnerships
Cebu Pacific was the only Philippines-based member airline of Northwest Airlines' WorldPerks award travel program. WorldPerks offered regular travelers the ability to obtain free tickets, first-class upgrades on flights and other types of rewards. On August 1, 2006, Northwest and Cebu Pacific ended their mileage-accrual agreement.
On May 16, 2016, Cebu Pacific became a founding member of the world's largest low-cost carrier alliance, Value Alliance, becoming the only Philippines-based carrier to be a member of an alliance.[78]
Destinations
Fleet
Current fleet
As of August 2025, Cebu Pacific operates an all-Airbus fleet composed of the following aircraft:[96][97]
Gallery
Fleet development
Cebu Pacific initially operated a fleet of Boeing 757-200 and McDonnell Douglas DC-9 aircraft. By March 2006, it phased out its 757s, and on July 26, 2006, retired its last DC-9.[102]
Passenger complaints and investigation
Cebu Pacific has been criticized for its poor passenger service, alleged (but industry-standard) overbooking, as well as flight delays and cancellations without any verifiable reason. It eventually led to a resolution filed by Senator Nancy Binay on April 23, 2023 following the aftermath of the airline's "Super Pass" voucher sale.[131] In the Senate hearing on June 21, Binay compiled over 3,000 complaints against Cebu Pacific, including offloaded passengers, as well as several delayed, cancelled, or rescheduled flights with unclear or no explanations; some of the complainants were allegedly not given compensation for the delays. The airline blamed on supply chain issues and grounded aircraft as a result of the disruptions, and apologized to affected passengers.[132] Rufus Rodriguez, representative of Cagayan de Oro's 2nd congressional district also filed a resolution that would suspend Cebu Pacific's franchise.[133]
Accidents and incidents
- February 2, 1998: Cebu Pacific Flight 387, a McDonnell Douglas DC-9-30 registered as RP-C1507 flying from Manila to Cagayan de Oro crashed on the slopes of Mount Sumagaya in Misamis Oriental, killing all 104 people on board during its approach to Lumbia Airport.[134]
- July 18, 2010: Cebu Pacific Flight 509, an ATR 72-500 registered as RP-C7254 bounced while landing at Manila after a flight from Tuguegarao Airport. The pilots performed a go-around and discovered that they could not retract the landing gear. The plane made a priority landing on runway 13. The aircraft (RP-C7254) was declared a hull loss.[135]
- June 2, 2013: Cebu Pacific Flight 971, an Airbus A320-200 registered as RP-C3266 and carrying 165 passengers inbound from Manila, ran off the runway at Francisco Bangoy International Airport and investigators have found the cause was likely human error. There were no fatalities, however, the plane was heavily damaged.[136]
See also
- List of airlines of the Philippines
- List of airports in the Philippines
- List of companies of the Philippines
- List of low-cost airlines
- Transportation in the Philippines
External links
References
- JO 7340.2J Contractions Federal Aviation Administration, 10 October 2019, retrieved 19 November 2019^
- List of Active Air Operator Certificate (AOC) Holders as of 16 March 2023 Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines, March 16, 2023, retrieved March 14, 2026^
- Company Information; Cebu Air, Inc.