KUWAIT: The Philippines' leading airline Cebu Pacific will launch non-stop flights between Kuwait and Manila on September 2, 2014. As the only airline that will offer non-stop flights between the Philippines and Kuwait, Cebu Pacific could serve more than 180,000 Filipino expats working in Kuwait. In an interview with the Kuwait Times, Alex Reyes, General Manager - Long-haul Division, Cebu Pacific, spoke about the launch of direct flights to Kuwait, the airline's low-cost business model and its growing network and new routes.
KT: Happy to learn that Cebu Pacific is launching non-stop flights between Kuwait and Manila from September this year. How many flights will you be operating weekly?
Reyes: Cebu Pacific Air will be operating direct flights from Kuwait to Manila on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Also, we will be operating direct flights from Manila to Kuwait on Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday.
KT: Do you propose any introductory fares or packages for passengers?
Reyes: We will continue to roll out promotional fares to raise awareness about Cebu Pacific Air's trademark low fares and the launch of the only non-stop service between Manila and Kuwait. For the latest seat sales, passengers may visit www.cebupacificair.com.
Low-cost model
KT: The airline is launching non-stop flights from Kuwait to Manila which will benefit more than 180,000 Filipino expats working in Kuwait. As a low-cost carrier, do you also propose attractive fares to match your goal of serving Global Filipinos? Can you explain your low fare strategy?
Reyes: We offer a simple, straightforward product, which will get passengers to their desired destinations safely, swiftly and at the lowest price. In the Philippines, Cebu Pacific is the leading carrier, serving more than 15 million passengers every year. This is a testament to how well the lowcost carrier model works in the regions we operate in. Offering low fares is our business model, thus the seat sales and promotional fares are offered on all our routes. This allows us to stimulate travel, because with our low fares, people can now afford to travel more than once or twice a year.
KT: What are the other salient features of Cebu Pacific as a low-cost airline?
Reyes: Cebu Pacific Air is known for its extensive network in the Philippines and convenient same-terminal connectivity to domestic flights out of Manila Terminal 3. We have the most flights and frequencies within the Philippines, providing travelers the most choices. Our all-economy cabin is fitted with new generation seats which have sculpted backrests, allowing for an extra 1-2 inches of knee clearance compared to a conventional economy seat. Amenities like hot meals, comfort kits, in-flight Wi-Fi and priority seating are available for purchase but strictly optional, in order to keep base fares to a minimum. Cebu Pacific is known for its fun flights, fun games onboard and Smile In-flight Magazine.
Extensive network
KT: Can you give an overview of Cebu Pacific's present destinations, future plans and routes?
Reyes: Cebu Pacific currently offers flights to 60 destinations (34 domestic and 26 international) and operates 91 routes or city-pairs. This translates to more than 2,200 flights a week from six operational hubs in the Philippines. One of our strengths is our Philippine network, because guests from Kuwait can fly non-stop to Manila and enjoy a seamless same-terminal flight connection to our very extensive Philippine network. Cebu Pacific is also launching direct flights to Sydney on September 9 this year, and is also looking at launching direct services to other long-haul destinations, such as the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in the second half of the year. This is in line with our commitment to fly to destinations with large Filipino communities. We also continue to study other possible destinations where there is a potentially large market for tourists who wish to travel to the Philippines.
KT: Can you tell us about the airline's current fleet? Are there any plans for a fleet expansion?
Reyes: Cebu Pacific's 50-strong fleet consists of 10 Airbus A319, 28 Airbus A320, 4 Airbus A330 and eight ATR-72 500 aircraft. It is one of the most modern aircraft fleets in the world with all the aircraft entering the fleet brand-new, straight from the factory. Between 2014 and 2021, Cebu Pacific will take delivery of 11 more brand-new Airbus A320, 30 Airbus A321neo, and two Airbus A330 aircraft. With a constant delivery stream of new aircraft, we are able to take advantage of the latest technologies. We were one of the first operators in the world to take delivery of A320s equipped with Sharklets, which are wing-tip devices that reduce drag when the aircraft is at cruise, reducing fuel consumption. The Airbus A330 is the aircraft used for our long-haul flights. We will take delivery of one later this month, and another one in the first quarter of 2015.
© Kuwait Times 2014
