Cebu Pacific sends off first flight to Australia

The Philippines’ leading airline, Cebu Pacific (PSE:CEB) launched its first Manila-Sydney non-stop flight on September 9, 2014, marking the start of its long-haul service in Australia. The airline is the only low-cost carrier operating the route.

CEB operates four weekly flights between Manila and Sydney, every Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday. The flight departs Manila at 12:15am and arrives in Sydney at 10:05am. The return flight departs Sydney at 11:35am and arrives in Manila at 5:30pm.

An additional Wednesday frequency will commence on December 10, 2014, to accommodate travel demand from the growing Filipino community in Australia. As per the Commission on Filipinos Overseas, there are over 300,000 Filipinos based in Australia.

During the send-off program, CEB President and CEO Lance Gokongwei said, “This maiden flight to Australia allows us to share our brand of fun, and provide connections and low fares, to another part of the globe. In our short history, we have stimulated travel in Asia and in the Middle East. Eighteen years after the airline’s inception, Cebu Pacific, a proud Philippine carrier, will land in the Australia-Oceania region, and work towards doing the same.”

Gokongwei added that the airline hopes to stimulate Australian travel to the Philippines. “We have long believed that the Philippines can rival the beaches of Bali and Phuket. Now, with Cebu Pacific’s launch, there is an affordable option for fun-loving Australians to discover this for themselves.”

Aside from Gokongwei, the maiden flight to Sydney was sent off by Australian Ambassador Bill Tweddell and Department of Tourism Secretary Ramon Jimenez Jr, among other esteemed guests.

CEB’s flights to Sydney utilize the airline’s brand-new Airbus A330-300 fleet with a configuration of 436 all-economy class seats. Its 5th A330 aircraft was just delivered brand-new from the Airbus factory in Toulouse, France on September 2, 2014.

The airline also offers fast and convenient same-terminal connecting flights for guests taking advantage of CEB’s wide Philippine network. Passengers have the option to purchase baggage allowance, seat selection, CEB Air Wi-Fi connectivity inflight and Hot Meals.

Aside from Sydney, CEB operates non-stop daily services between Manila and Dubai, and thrice weekly non-stop services between Manila and Kuwait. It is slated to launch flights to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on October 1, 2014, and to Dammam, Saudi Arabia on October 4, 2014.

sourced:traveldailynews.asia