Cebu Pacific Seeks to Expand Operations in UAE

After a series of growing pains and what seemed to be a slow start during the launch of its first long-haul flights to Dubai, Cebu Pacific, the country's largest low cost carrier is now seeking further flight entitlements to expand its long haul operations to the United Arab Emirates. 

Copyright Photo: Diego Roxas/PPSG
According to a petition filed with the Civil Aeronautics Board, Cebu Pacific is applying for the reallocation of two unused weekly frequencies that were previously allocated to Philippine Airlines. The most recent air talks held between the Philippines and UAE were in September 2012. Under the most recently negotiated agreement, 28 flights are permitted each week between the two countries.

While Cebu Pacific has not revealed what it intends to use the additional two flight entitlements for, it is clear that the budget carrier is seeking new opportunities in the Middle East as it prepares to launch flights to Kuwait on September 2. 

Cebu Pacific currently flies long-haul to Dubai with up to seven flights weekly depending on the season. It remains unclear whether it will pursue service to Abu Dhabi as well or increase its presence in Dubai. For now, the carrier is focused on launching its new Kuwait service, along with new flights to Sydney, Australia on September 9. Cebu Pacific has also expressed interest in serving Saudi Arabia in the near future. 

While the arrival of Cebu Pacific in the Australian market is welcome news, competition is expected to heat up as AirAsia launches it's own fly-thru service via Kuala Lumpur. AirAsia Group has been operating budget long-haul flights to Australia from its hub in Kuala Lumpur via its long-haul affiliate, AirAsia X, for the past few years and has no intention of losing market share. However, the entry of Cebu Pacific is expected to stimulate the market, opening it to new travellers and increasing the frequency of travel. 

1 comment:

  1. Gusto mag fly sa sydney.i prefer direct flight,napaka hassle ng fly-thru ng air asia at napaka time consuming pa.

    ReplyDelete

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