Cebu Pacific Targets Rome as First European Destination

Cebu Pacific, the nation's largest low-cost carrier, has revealed that it is targeting Rome, Italy as its first destination in Europe. In a filing with the Civil Aeronautics Board, the budget carrier is seeking seven entitlements that are currently held by Philippine Airlines. 

cebu pacific italy
Copyright Photo: Angelo Agcamaran/PPSG
Last April, the European Union revealed that Cebu Pacific had been lifted from the safety ban imposed on Philippine carriers from operating flights to Europe. The announcement came just one day after the US Federal Aviation Administration restored the Philippines back to Category 1 status. 

The ban on flights to Europe was imposed in March 2010, preventing any Philippine carriers including Cebu Pacific and Philippine Airlines from flying to any of the 27 European member states. With the ban lifted last year, Cebu Pacific has been free to mount flights to Europe at any time. 

However, Cebu Pacific President Lance Gokongwei stated earlier that there would be no flights to Europe in the near future, while the budget carrier carefully evaluated its acquisition of new long-haul aircraft and the viability of various European destinations. 

Gokongwei had previously stated that the budget carrier would initially concentrate its efforts on large overseas Filipino markets, particularly in the Middle East, Australia, and the United States. Last year, Cebu Pacific expanded its long-haul network to Riyadh, Dammam, Kuwait, and Sydney.

Cebu Pacific is still in need of additional aircraft that will have the range and capability of serving long-haul destinations in Europe and the United States as its existing A330-300 fleet has limited range. However, that does not prevent the carrier from flying to destinations such as Italy via intermediate points such as Dubai or Tel Aviv.

cebu pacific rome
Image Source: Wikimedia
According to Alex Reyes, General Manager of Cebu Pacific's Long-Haul Division, the carrier would like seven of the fourteen entitlements that are currently held, but are not being used by Philippine Airlines. "The Philippines has 14 weekly flight entitlements to Italy, which have all been allocated to Philippine Airlines," said Reyes. "Cebu Pacific is requesting the reallocation of 7 unutilized flight entitlements to Italy."

Under the leadership of Ramon Ang and San Miguel Corporation, Philippine Airlines revealed that it planned to operate seven weekly flights each to Rome Fiumicino Airport and Milan Malpensa Airport. But current Philippine Airlines President Jaime Bautista stated late last year that all European expansion was on hold indefinitely. 

cebu pacific italy
Image Source: Wikimedia
Philippine Airlines has struggled to generate a profit on its sole European flight to London's Heathrow Airport. Several aviation analysts have indicated that it would be more prudent for Philippine carriers to concentrate on the US market, where there is a significantly larger population of overseas Filipinos. 

Italy is currently home to 170,000 Filipinos, compared to nearly 3.5 million Filipinos in the United States. But according to Carmelo Arcilla, Executive Director of the Civil Aeronautics Board, these airports can be used to serve traffic coming from other parts of Europe. "Rome and Milan can also be a jump off point for traffic between Souther Europe and the Philippines," said Arcilla.

A jump off point is exactly what one European carrier plans when it begins flying non-stop between Istanbul and Manila. Turkish Airlines, rated one of the world's best carriers, plans to launch three weekly flights between Turkey and the Philippines in March, as it attempts to capture a share of the large number of overseas Filipinos travelling to and from Europe. 

Istanbul will be used as a connection point to a number of destinations throughout Western Europe adding yet another competitor in what is becoming a highly competitive market between KLM Royal Dutch Airlines, Philippine Airlines, and the Gulf carriers. 

The Civil Aeronautics Board has scheduled a hearing for Cebu Pacific's Application to Italy on January 14. 

38 comments:

  1. Sounds like a "feel-good" press release from Cebu Pathetic. It's like the same press release they had when they "plan" to fly to New Zealand. The company themselves acknowledged that they do not have an aircraft that can fly direct...and will a 1-stop route be economically viable? Correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't think a 1-stop flight fits in a budget airline business model.

    As far as I can tell this is just a PR spin by some talented geeks at Cebu Pathetic marketing team.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Majority of Filipino workers in Italy have been utilizing the services of Singapore Airlines and Cathay Pacific Airways. I have many relatives and friends working there.
    How nice for Cebu Pacific to enter that market because it can offer lower fares better (being LCC) than the two airlines mentioned above. There is always an obvious reason why PAL stopped flying to Rome. My last PAL (DC-10) flight MNL/Bahrain/Rome/Amsterdam was in April, 1983. Then it disappeared just like that. Kudos to Cebu Pacific; you will be helping a lot of Pinoy domestic helpers/other workers by providing them with low LCC fares.

    ReplyDelete
  3. In a place where there are Pinoys, there is always competition. We will see how CX, SQ, Turkish Air, Thai, Emirates, Etihad would compete with Cebu Pacific for that Manila to Rome route. I am sure Cebu Pacific can wrestle with all of them, air fare-wise.....!!!!! Let's go....!!!!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Jesus Christ. Cebu Pacific wants to also expand to Europe? How about you fix your SHIT first before you think about expanding??? Cebu Pathetic is best suited for this Airline because it really is pathetic. Worst LCC in Asia.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. that airline is in a lot of trouble right now because of their holiday fiasco.

      Delete
  5. No way! Dont get fooled by this airline who treats their passengers as 3rd class citizens! dont waste your TIME & MONEY with CP.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Keep calm, people. It is obvious that you don't travel regularly(or even never) so why don't you let those passengers make the choice? Let them try the services of Cebu Pacific and if it does not work with them, then they have a lot of choices, so simple as that. Remove that deadly sin called ENVY in you!!!!!!!!

      Delete
    2. Besides, Cebu Pacific has the capital to invest, so let it operate an airline business so that there would be stiff competition in the market. The winner here is the air travelling public. Please be nice, let this airline grow if it can!!!

      Delete
    3. To maintain a "fat wallet", I have been travelling to Europe with Aer Lingus and Air Berlin using A330 airplanes. Therefore, no one can tell me to spend more money for other carriers! And I will exactly do that when Cebu Pacific comes to America, as I have been agonizing with PAL's uncompetitive air fares and lousy services. This is my "final answer".

      Delete
    4. Cebu Pacific provides misery for its passengers starting with long lines to check in and finally after a long delay a terrible service in the air, this airline really is the pits

      Delete
    5. It also happens to PAL

      Delete
  6. I had the misfortune to use this airline once = never again

    ReplyDelete
  7. There is a 1% chance CAB will give half of those entitlements to Cebu Pacific after what happened this Christmas. I heard PAL was planning on using those as well, so good luck CEB.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. PAL is too slow in reacting to developing situations and is being overtaken by the aggressive expansion plans of CEB. Go go go CEB

      Delete
  8. 5J is just room dressing its cabinet and to get the slots allocated to PR. I just hope they can be dead serious about it.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Just let CEB fly all the routes PAL does not like to fly to benefit the travelers. Let CAB grant those entitlements to CEB.

      Delete
  9. All these whiners have so much time on their hands! Get a job, do something, be useful, get busy! Don't be typical rabid-mouthed Pinoys! You're actually more embarrassing to this country than Cebu Pacific!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. True. If not for 5J, Philippines will still be languishing with high airfares. 5J afforded cheap airfares to the "riding public" thus contributing huge amount to the Philippine economy. They may have committed blunders left & right but other airlines did the same in the past. Thanks to 5J because pinoys are able to go back home with their families, fly cargo for businesses to flourish, promote tourism, etc. Don't be ungrateful shits because you can't afford to pay higher airfares with other airlines. You're all free to howl but then again you're also free to spend more only if you can afford it.

      Delete
  10. Amen one of the most corrupt countries in the world and most of them have their snouts in the trough. Bribery is the norm in the Philippines so no wonder the country never moves forward

    ReplyDelete
  11. Cebu Pacific to Europe? I don't think so...

    ReplyDelete
  12. Yes, we want Cebu Pacific flying to Europe. Rah rah rah

    ReplyDelete
  13. Maybe they should just let any Philippine carrier fly to any destination they like to fly to, be that Europe or USA and just let the travelers pick the better airline from the selection. If healthy competition will happen, ultimately the traveler will benefit because several choices will become available.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Look birdbrain passengers dont want or need another useless route from this terrible airline with its super delays
      on time performance is laughable

      Delete
    2. The faster Cebu Pacific starts taking off to Rome, the better. Many Pinoys are very curious about this airline coming to this Eternal City. Finally, a Filipino airline for Pinoys in Italy and Europe!

      Delete
  14. Personally I will stick to flying regional with CebuPac. I get a little nervous flying with them, compared to Singapore Air Qatar Airways Cathay Pacific. Plus these airlines are less borring to sit on when flying long haul.

    ReplyDelete
  15. It is the airfare, baby! Anyone who can match the lowest fare in the market will be my choice, no matter what airline it is. They all fly modern aircraft anyway! I fly, I fly, I fly with discretion because it saves me money and I do not believe in your nasty blog because I have flown an airplane for the last 35 years of my life.

    ReplyDelete
  16. The views of most people from a third world country like the Philippines is really "amazing". How can a country of 100 million advance (to modern way of life) if its people disagree all the time when they see innovations like new businesses start to sprout, in this particular example - new airlines wanting to compete with the perennial "monopolizer" called PAL? Move forward, folks! If you don't, poverty will continue to envelope you all!!! Vamonos, andale, alle, siga, sulong!!!!!!!!!!!!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Trying to beat a monopolizer is no excuse for poor customer service (to be fair, PAL is bad too, but CebPac is far worse). If you want to break a monopoly, make sure you have a better product all-around. You can't be good in one thing (fares) but terrible in another (service). Also, being an LCC doesn't excuse them from this either.

      Delete
    2. Clarification: The person (@ 12:07 PM) said that breaking the monopoly is seeing new players in the game; the more the better. That's why, there should be more airlines to be established in the Philippines given the population explosion (100 million and counting) it is "knowingly and dangerously" experiencing! Entiendes? Entendido?

      Delete
  17. I wonder if Cebu Pacific would have factored in EU 261 compensation payments in their business plan. Even though Cebu Pacific is a non-EU airline under EU regulations it would be liable to pay compensation to passengers for delays. This could be as much as €600 (depending on the length of the delay) to passengers leaving the EU (so not on flights from MNL to Europe).

    Recent court cases in Europe have greatly minimised the number "exceptional circumstances" that airlines can claim to get out of paying compensation, so I guess Cebu Pacific will need to factor in substantial payouts given their tardiness record.

    ReplyDelete
  18. Lets hope Cebu Pacific enjoy their 50 million fine for their outstanding service they provided their passengers(victims) over the xmas and new year period

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Interesting, the fine is rather big news, but this site has yet to report on it, instead they'd rather do a flight review. How disappointing. It's like this site loves CebPac as much as CAPA loves low-cost carriers, Emirates and Etihad. They really need to be more balanced in their news reporting.

      Delete
    2. CAPA is not an amateur blog like this & PFN. It is a professional think tank that does analyses worldwide. They do not do reports. And just because they do not hold your neophyte views on airlines does not mean they're wrong. They're respected in the industry as opposed to the nonsense that is on this site & PFN!

      Delete
    3. Interestingly, PNA states its the leading airline and aviation news fr Philippines hoping to find the latest news and issues around the block. And also get the news esp away from PHL but I'm better getting it from other news outfits and blog sites. I hope the admin steps up on this as we see a responsible and balanced views for PHL aviation from abroad.

      Delete
  19. CEB should also consider IFE app for the ipad and android with the reasonable price for long haul.

    ReplyDelete
  20. They have it in long haul for free. Hardly advertised though which is surprising for an airline considered to have one of the best marketing strategy & execution in the industry.

    ReplyDelete

Powered by Blogger.