Cebu Pacific flies record 27 million passengers in 2025

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January 16, 2026 | 12:00am

MANILA, Philippines — Budget carrier Cebu Pacific strengthened its grip as the country’s biggest airline, flying nearly 27 million travelers in 2025, with room for more growth as both its fleet and network expand.

According to its year-end report, Cebu Pacific grew its passenger volume by 10 percent to 26.88 million last year, from 24.54 million in 2024, propelled by the popularity of budget flights.

Domestic passenger traffic surged by eight percent to 19.99 million, as Cebu Pacific capitalized on its extensive local network to meet the travel demand.

However, the larger driver of growth was the recovery of the international passenger market, up by 14 percent to 6.89 million. Cebu Pacific’s gamble to enter new markets paid off, offsetting the impact of global issues on geopolitical conflicts and supply shortages.

In 2025, Cebu Pacific embraced the cold by offering direct flights to winter wonderland Sapporo, widening its reach in Japan, a popular Filipino getaway. The airline also launched weekly trips to Ho Chi Minh from Cebu, hopping on the growing popularity of Vietnam among Filipinos.

The carrier owned by the Gokongweis paired this with the expansion of its wide-body fleet, as it is now Asia’s largest operator of Airbus A330s.

Overall, Cebu Pacific grew its seat capacity by 10 percent to 31.99 million in 2025, although its load factor fell to 83.8 percent.

Airlines measure load factor as the ratio of seats booked against available slots, so the higher it is the better because it means that flights were occupied.

Cebu Pacific CEO Michael Szucs said the airline anticipates growing its passenger volume at the same rate this year, driven by the arrival of seven new aircraft and its entry into the Saudi Arabian market through Riyadh.

Likewise, Cebu Pacific will be leaning on its widest domestic network of 37 destinations, backed by an international reach to 26 cities across Asia, Australia and the Middle East. At present, it is the biggest airline by fleet, with 100 aircraft at its disposal.

“Delivering these record numbers despite challenges such as fleet reliability issues, supply chain disruptions and global geopolitical tensions underscores the strength of our low-cost model and the agility of our operations,” Szucs said.

“We anticipate sustaining similar growth levels in 2026, supported by the delivery of seven new aircraft during the year,” he added.