THE Philippines’ leading carrier, Cebu Pacific (PSE: CEB) expands its reach in mainland China as it is set to commence direct commercial service between Manila and Shenzen. The new route is in line with the carrier’s plans to expand its route network in China to cater to increasing demand for leisure and business travel.
To mark the launch of the new route, seats on CEB’s Manila-Shenzhen flights were sold for as low as P1 base fare until June 11, 2019. Travel period was from July 1 to Oct. 26, 2019.
Shenzhen is the fifth Cebu Pacific destination in mainland China, and is the airline’s 27th international destination. The carrier had earlier stated it is looking to expand in North Asia, including opening significant new routes and possible new destinations in China.
Flights between Manila and Shenzhen will run four times weekly – every Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday, beginning July 1, 2019. At only two hours and 40 minutes’ flying time, the evening departure of the flights will enable travelers to make full use of business hours, both in Manila and in Shenzhen.
Shenzen, located in Guangdong Province, is part of the booming Pearl River Delta megalopolis. Shenzhen has a continuous development of rail and road links to other cities within the region, including a branch road that connects to the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge.
As China’s first special economic zone, Shenzhen is an important city for sourcing of goods for those engaged in trade. Boasting of shopping complexes, it is also a retail mecca for bargain-hunters. Dubbed as “China’s Silicon Valley,” Shenzen is one of China’s leading innovation and technology hubs, serving as headquarters for tech giants such as Huawei, BGI, BYD and Tencent.
“We want to provide our travelers a viable option to reach some of the globe’s most crucial commercial centers today. Our new direct service between Manila and Shenzhen will enable faster movement of people and products providing increased mobility and access to some of the fastest-growing economies in the world,” said Candice Iyog, Vice President for Marketing and Distribution of Cebu Pacific.
Currently, Cebu Pacific flies 23 times weekly between the Philippines and mainland China, with directly flights between Shanghai, Manila and Cebu; as well as Manila and Beijing, Guangzhou and Xiamen. CEB also flies 55 times weekly between Hong Kong and Manila, Cebu, Clark and Iloilo and 20 times weekly between Macau and Manila, Clark and Cebu. The carrier also flies 14 times a week between Manila and Taipei./PN
