MANILA, PHILIPPINES — If there’s one moment when Filipinos can point to and say that flying was made truly accessible for them, the end of the finger would be at Cebu Pacific. Since its first flight in 1996, the leading low-cost airline has flown over 200 million passengers to its 35 beautiful domestic and 26 international destinations.
Among other ways, aviation is the bold way to go when traveling because it is taking a leap to be among the clouds in its literal sense — keeping your eyes peeled for the bird’s eye-view from where you depart, chasing the sun in its permitting hours, and stunning yourself with the deep saturation of the blue skies. With quite the conquest for these, many airlines have vied for prominence in the local aviation industry.
Cebu Pacific’s commitment as a travel enabler for every Juan is propelled with the signing of a purchase agreement with Airbus and Pratt & Whitney for up to 152 orders of A321neo aircraft. Posed as a redefiner of longer range flight, the A321neo aircraft has the longest body among its family in Airbus with 236 passengers spaciously seated in a single aisle in comfortable interiors.
In celebration of this landmark purchase, the largest in Philippine aviation history, Cebu Pacific hosted “Future Skies for Every Juan” where President and Chief Executive Officer of JG Summit Holdings and Cebu Air Chairman Lance Gokongwei humbly remarked how it was never in his imagination reaching the heights of the airline’s success. Moreover, he chalked it up to the people behind the scenes and the day-to-day operations.
“As Mike [Cebu Pacific CEO Michael Szucs] mentioned earlier, success is not the work of a single person. It takes a dedicated team all moving together towards a singular purpose and here we stand as the largest Philippine air carrier having made the largest aircraft purchase in our nation’s history.”
A testament to the significance of the purchase was worded by Department of Tourism Secretary Christina Frasco, “The future we jointly envision — where the skies are open, travel is sustainable, and accessibility is inclusive for everyone — is within reach.”
Emphasizing on the effect of the airline’s expansion to encourage every Juan to venture into flying, Cebu Pacific President and Chief Commercial Officer Xander Lao hopes that the move will inspire Filipinos’ exploration beyond the ordinary: “It’s essential to recognize that it is not just the demand in travel that will drive this growth, but rather an entire ecosystem that needs to be developed to support this expansion.”
“Investing in our aviation infrastructure means streamlining processes, improving the overall travel experience, and ensuring our customers feel valued from the moment they step into the airport,” he added.
During the celebration, executives — Cebu Pacific’s Chief Executive Officer Michael Szucs, Chairman of the Board Lance Gokongwei, Airbus Executive Vice President Sales of the Commercial Aircraft business Benoît de Saint-Exupéry, Pratt & Whitney President of Commercial Engines Rick Deurloo — and leaders in the related industries — Philippine Transportation Secretary Jaime Bautista, Tourism Secretary Christina Frasco, First Lady Louise Araneta Marcos — symbolically unveiled the airbus in a ceremony to mark Cebu Pacific’s investment in Philippine aviation, elevation of the country as a global destination, enhancement of robust infrastructures for interconnectivity, and the collective effort to take the entire Philippine aviation industry to greater heights.
Looking back on its history, Lance Gokongwei said that while the birth of Cebu Pacific was not something he anticipated from his father, it has been “a journey filled with countless lessons, years of study, invaluable experiences, and a few stumbles along the way.”
With its new acquisition, flying with Cebu Pacific is not just one way to get to picturesque places but one that transforms the flight as an experience in itself. Such significant purchase reflects Cebu Pacific’s immense confidence in the future of travel and aviation in the Philippines — indicative of its vision to fly more Juans through clear skies and carry over cloudy ones as put by Lance Gokongwei, “To the challenges we overcome and what we have in our hearts: a bright future ahead.”
