CEB welcomes signing of ASEAN Open Skies

Cebu Pacific (CEB) yesterday welcomed the government's ratification of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Open Skies agreement which allows designated carriers of member countries to operate unlimited flights between them for better connectivity, more competitive fares and services.

CEB currently offers the most number of flights and destinations to ASEAN from the Philippines. The airline flies to 11 destinations in seven ASEAN countries, including Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia ( Siem Reap), Indonesia (Bali and Jakarta), Malaysia (Kuala Lumpur and Kota Kinabalu), Singapore, Thailand (Bangkok and Phuket), and Vietnam (Hanoi and Saigon).

Through CEB’s interline agreement with Tigerair Singapore, CEB also offers flights to Myanmar (Yangon), via Singapore.

With Open Skies, CEB can add more flights to and from key destinations in ASEAN, to meet the growing travel demand within the region. Passengers from these international destinations may also take advantage of CEB’s lowest year-round fares and widest domestic network, to easily connect to any of the Philippines’ popular islands.

“The Philippine aviation industry has reached a milestone that will benefit the travelling public, as we open our airspace to vast travel opportunities among ASEAN carriers,” noted Atty. JR Mantaring, CEB vice president for Corporate Affairs.

Subject to regulatory approvals, the agreement further allows carriers to upgrade its ASEAN flights to widebodied aircraft and increase capacity without the need for air talks.

This streamlined process will enable CEB to focus on expanding its operations, stimulating passenger traffic, and improving customer experience rather than spending valuable resources on negotiating for additional air rights.

“We look forward to contributing to this evolution and enabling more Filipinos to fly across ASEAN and across the globe,” he added.

CEB offers flights to a network of over 90 routes on 64 destinations, spanning Asia, Australia, and the Middle East. It is slated to launch direct flights between Manila and Guam, its first US destination, on March 15, 2016.

Cebu Pacific's 57- strong fleet is comprised of 8 Airbus A319, 35 Airbus A320, 6 Airbus A330, and 8 ATR 72-500 aircraft. It is one of the most modern aircraft fleets in the world. Between 2016 and 2021, CEB expects delivery of three more brand-new Airbus A320, 30 Airbus A321neo, and 16 ATR 72-600 aircraft.