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Cebu Pacific carried 2.4 million passengers in May 2026, bringing its January-May total to over 12.2 million, up 4.6% year-on-year from 11.7 million
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Year-to-date capacity expanded 10.2% to 15.1 million seats, with average seat load factor at 80.7%
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May SLF climbed to 78.3%, a four-point jump from April, which Cebu Pacific attributes to recent fare and commercial adjustments
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Domestic May traffic was nearly flat (-0.2%) despite a 14.3% capacity increase, pushing domestic SLF to 79.5%
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International May traffic fell 4.5% in line with a 4.1% capacity cut, with SLF at 74.7%
Cebu Pacific carried over 2.4 million passengers in May 2026, bringing its year-to-date passenger total to more than 12.2 million, up 4.6% from 11.7 million passengers in the same period last year.
The Gokongwei-led carrier reported that domestic traffic for the January-May period rose 4.7% to 9.1 million passengers, while international traffic increased 4.5% to 3.1 million.
Total seat capacity for the five months grew 10.2% to 15.1 million, with the airline’s average seat load factor (SLF) settling at 80.7%.
For May alone, Cebu Pacific carried 2.4 million passengers, roughly on par with the same month last year despite a weaker economic backdrop.
Systemwide seat capacity for the month rose 9.0% year-on-year to 3.1 million, while SLF reached 78.3%, a four-point improvement from April that the airline credited to gaining traction from recent commercial initiatives and pricing adjustments.
By segment, domestic passenger volume in May proved resilient, dipping just 0.2% year-on-year even as seat capacity jumped 14.3%, lifting the domestic load factor to 79.5%. International passenger traffic, meanwhile, declined 4.5% year-on-year, broadly tracking a 4.1% reduction in seat capacity, with SLF coming in at 74.7%.
Cebu Pacific said the data point to early payoff from steps taken to boost bookings.
“Following our pricing adjustments, we saw stronger booking momentum and improved seat load factors compared to April, demonstrating the market’s responsiveness to calibrated fare levels,” said Xander Lao, president and chief commercial officer of Cebu Pacific.
READ: Cebu Pacific passengers decrease slightly in April as fares spike
“As we enter the seasonally softer third quarter, we are taking a disciplined approach to capacity and revenue management to match demand, support healthy load factors, and maintain affordable fares while managing elevated operating costs, particularly fuel,” Lao added.
On the fleet side, Cebu Pacific said it took delivery late last month of a new Airbus A320neo, continuing its push to modernize with more fuel-efficient jets. The aircraft arrived in Manila from Airbus’ delivery facility in Tianjin, China, marking the second of four A320neo units the carrier expects to add to its fleet this year. By year-end, Cebu Pacific projects it will have taken delivery of seven next-generation aircraft in total.
Cebu Pacific, which entered the aviation industry in March 1996 as the country’s pioneer of the “low fare, great value” model, has flown more than 280 million passengers since its founding. The carrier serves 35 domestic and 25 international destinations, the largest network in the Philippines, with a fleet of 102 aircraft, which are among the youngest globally.
READ: Cebu Pacific income more than doubles to P12.3 billion in 2025
