Cebu Pacific starts Mla – Batanes flights

Cebu Pacific will begin operating flights between Manila and Batanes next month to cater to strong demand for the service.

In a statement, Cebu Pacific said it will launch the direct commercial air service between Manila and Batanes on March 25.

The service is being made available as Batanes emerged as the most requested destination in a crowdsourcing campaign Cebu Pacific launched last year, the first of its kind in Philippine aviation.

Cebu Pacific is making the service available through subsidiary Cebgo which will fly once daily between Manila and Basco, Batanes from March 25, until Oct. 27 this year.

The flight will depart the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 4 in Manila at 6:20 a.m., while the return trip from Basco will leave at 9:15 a.m.

Cebgo will use the ATR aircraft for the service.

To promote the new service, Cebu Pacific is holding an introductory all-in fare until seats last.

The fare is at P2,699 for flights for travel dates March 25 to May 31.

Those planning to visit Batanes from June 1 to Oct. 27 of this year, meanwhile, will get a lower fare of P2,399.

The all-in year-round fare from Manila to Basco is P4,241.

“Our new flight to Basco is in keeping with our commitment to connect more of the Philippines and make air travel safe, affordable, reliable, and fun-filled for everyjuan. What makes this route more special is that netizens were actively engaged in the selection of our new destination – our customers were part of the process,” Cebgo president and chief executive officer Alexander Lao said.

Other popular choices among netizens under Cebu Pacific’s campaign include Daet (Camarines Norte), Mati (Davao Oriental), Bantayan Island (Cebu), San Vicente (Palawan) and Siquijor.

After getting responses, Cebu Pacific assessed the top choices in terms of readiness for commercial flights, with criteria that included airport infrastructure, safety and security processes and passenger facilities.

Cebu Pacific currently flies to 37 domestic and 25 international destinations.

The carrier operates out of seven hubs in the country – Manila, Clark, Cebu, Davao, Cagayan de Oro, Kalibo and Iloilo.