THE Philippines’ leading airline, Cebu Pacific, makes it easier for residents in the Visayas and Mindanao to fly to Japan, via its hub in Cebu. On top of easier connecting flights to Japan, Cebu Pacific is also boosting frequency of its Cebu-Narita route from four times a week to a daily flight, effective Dec. 1, 2018.
Cebu Pacific has made connections to Narita, Japan simpler and easier from Bacolod, Iloilo, Cagayan de Oro or Davao through seamless flight schedules as well as one-time check-in for both domestic and international flights. Fares to Narita, Japan via Cebu are as low as PHP7,776 from Cagayan de Oro (Laguindingan); PHP7,676 from Davao; PHP7,376.00 from Bacolod; and PHP7,576 from Iloilo.
“Japan is a popular destination among Filipino vacationers. We are giving passengers who hail from the Visayas and Mindanao a more practical and viable option to reach Japan with daily flights from Cebu. This is on top of flights from Manila to Narita, Osaka, Fukuoka and Nagoya,” said Alexander Lao, President and CEO of Cebgo.
The Philippines, on the other hand, is a popular destination among Japanese tourists, with data from the Department of Tourism recording 366,649 tourist arrivals from Japan from January to July 2018. An estimated 20,000 Japanese nationals also call the Philippines home; with hundreds of students choosing to study English in the Philippines because of the language’s official status, geographical proximity to Japan compared with other English-speaking countries, and relatively low study and living expenses.
“More flight options mean greater flexibility for our customers and easier transfers from Narita to Cebu. Japanese students, expatriates and tourists can now enjoy more attractions the Philippines has to offer through easy connections either to Bacolod, Iloilo, Cagayan de Oro or Davao.”
Aside from Cebu, Cebu Pacific flies 14 times weekly between Manila and Narita; five times weekly to and from Nagoya; four times a week between Manila and Osaka; and thrice weekly to and from Fukuoka.
The Japan routes are one of the strongest growth drivers of Cebu Pacific, with passenger volume expanding by an average 52 percent from April to June 2018 alone. As of the first half of 2018, Cebu Pacific has flown 10.4 million passengers./PN
