Cebu Pacific forecasts double-digit passenger growth after November dip

Cebu Air, Inc., operating as budget carrier Cebu Pacific (CEB), projects a return to double-digit passenger volume growth in the upcoming months, despite experiencing a decline in November 2025 traffic. The airline reported carrying over 24.2 million passengers from January to November 2025, marking a 10% increase from the 22 million transported during the same period a year prior. This robust year-to-date performance underscores a strong recovery trajectory for the Philippine-based airline.

However, November 2025 saw Cebu Pacific transport 2.1 million passengers, a 9.1% decrease year-on-year. Domestic traffic fell by 11.5%, attributed to a 12.2% reduction in available seats, resulting in an 83.8% seat load factor. International passenger numbers also dipped by 1.8%, even with a 7.1% increase in seat capacity, leading to an international seat load factor of 76.8%. For the broader January-November period, domestic traffic rose 8.5% to 18 million, while international traffic grew 14.9% to 6.2 million. The overall year-to-date seat load factor averaged 84%, with total seat capacity reaching 28.8 million, up 10.3% from the previous year.

Cebu Pacific Chief Executive Officer Mike Szucs attributed the November dip to several factors, including proactive capacity adjustments made in preparation for the December and January peak travel periods, disruptions from severe weather events such as Typhoons Tino and Uwan, and scheduled Airbus software reinstallation at the month's end. Mr. Szucs expressed confidence in the airline's future, stating that Cebu Pacific looks forward to resuming double-digit capacity growth in the coming months, aligning with a strong forward booking outlook. The airline currently serves 37 domestic and 26 international routes and has transported over 270 million passengers since its inception in March 1996, operating a modern fleet of 99 aircraft.