CEB to receive seven aircraft in 2026, adds Riyadh route

BUDGET CARRIER Cebu Pacific (CEB) said it expects to receive seven aircraft deliveries next year as it looks to expand its domestic and international network.

“This growth will really strengthen our position in the region and will allow us to serve more destinations with greater efficiency and comfort,” Cebu Pacific President and Chief Commercial Officer Alexander G. Lao said during the airline’s year-end media briefing on Tuesday.

Cebu Pacific is set to end 2025 with 100 aircraft, after taking delivery of seven planes this year, Mr. Lao said.

For 2026, the airline expects five narrow-body aircraft and two wide-body aircraft.

The carrier also announced it will launch direct flights between Manila and Riyadh beginning March 1, 2026.

“We remain committed to providing reliable and accessible connections for Filipinos wherever they may be in the world,” Mr. Lao said.

The service will operate four times a week, with Manila-Riyadh flights departing every Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday, while return flights to Manila are scheduled every Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday.

Cebu Pacific said Riyadh will be its sole long-haul market next year even as it continues to explore other opportunities.

“We do try to stay in the areas that we are pretty strong at,” Mr. Lao said, adding that the airline will also focus on strengthening its existing routes.

“It is really how we strengthen the existing network so that we are able to gain economies of scale. It is important because that is how we lower our fares,” Cebu Pacific Chief Marketing and Customer Experience Officer Candice A. Iyog said.

Cebu Pacific currently serves 37 domestic and 27 international destinations across Asia, Australia and the Middle East.

For the third quarter, the airline reported a 13.9% rise in passenger volume to 19.95 million, from 17.51 million a year earlier.

Domestic passengers grew 12.7% to 14.88 million, while international passengers increased 17.7% to 5.07 million.

For the first half, Cebu Air, Inc., the airline’s operating unit, posted an attributable net income of P8.97 billion, more than double the P3.55 billion recorded a year earlier, as gross revenues climbed 23.1% to P63.33 billion.

Passenger revenues amounted to P44.23 billion, while cargo and ancillary revenues contributed P3.51 billion and P15.59 billion, respectively.

Cebu Pacific said it expects strong demand in the fourth quarter, driven by holiday travel and a favorable macroeconomic environment in the Philippines and Southeast Asia.

At the stock exchange on Tuesday, Cebu Pacific shares gained P1.05, or 3.28%, to close at P33.05 apiece. — Ashley Erika O. Jose