A TOTAL of 2.1 million passengers were carried by Cebu Pacific (CEB) in August 2025, a 0.4% decrease compared to the same period last year, even as its seat load factor (SLF) increased to 83.7% from 81.3% last year, while seat capacity declined by 3.2%.
“The softer year-on-year traffic in August reflects the usual lean travel season in the Philippines, particularly for domestic routes, while international passenger growth remained strong. We see this as an expected and temporary dip, with traffic rebounding in the fourth quarter as peak travel season begins and aircraft availability improves,” said Mike Szucs, Chief Executive Officer of Cebu Pacific.
He added: “We moderated our domestic capacity growth in August due to some unscheduled engine removals, the flyadeal wet-lease, and scheduled maintenance events in preparation for the busy holiday months. These actions enable our capacity to be optimized so that we can deliver higher growth in the fourth quarter to coincide with the anticipated strong demand.”
The airline’s domestic passengers, according to CEB spokesperson Carmina Romero, decreased by 4.4% versus August 2024 on 10.7% lower seats, with a domestic SLF increasing by 5.7pts to 87.6%, while International passenger traffic grew 13.3% year-over-year on 21.4% higher seats, which resulted in a 5.3pts decrease in SLF to 74.2%.
Romero added that for year-to-date 2025, CEB passengers grew to 18.1 million, marking a 15.2% increase from 15.7 million in 2024. Domestic passengers grew 14.0% to 13.5 million, while international passengers grew 18.8% to 4.6 million. SLF averaged 85.2%, while overall capacity in seats grew 15.1% to 21.3 million.
August 2025 | August 2024 | Var % | YTD August 2025 | YTD August 2024 | Var % | |
Passengers (000) | 2,103 | 2,111 | -0.4% | 18,125 | 15,729 | 15.2% |
Domestic | 1,562 | 1,634 | -4.4% | 13,505 | 11,842 | 14.0% |
International | 541 | 477 | 13.3% | 4,620 | 3,887 | 18.8% |
Seat Load Factor1 | 83.7% | 81.3% | +2.4 pts | 85.2% | 85.2% | – |
Domestic | 87.6% | 81.9% | +5.7 pts | 88.1% | 87.6% | +0.5 pt |
International | 74.2% | 79.5% | -5.3 pts | 77.9% | 78.6% | -0.7 pt |
Seats (000) | 2,512 | 2,596 | -3.2% | 21,267 | 18,469 | 15.1% |
Domestic | 1,783 | 1,995 | -10.7% | 15,335 | 13,521 | 13.4% |
International | 729 | 601 | 21.4% | 5,932 | 4,948 | 19.9% |
RPK2 (Million) | 2,250 | 2,100 | 7.1% | 19,375 | 16,413 | 18.0% |
Domestic | 874 | 914 | -4.3% | 7,442 | 6,616 | 12.5% |
International | 1,376 | 1,186 | 16.0% | 11,933 | 9,797 | 21.8% |
ASK3 (Million) | 2,837 | 2,587 | 9.6% | 23,702 | 19,865 | 19.3% |
Domestic | 987 | 1,099 | -10.2% | 8,362 | 7,496 | 11.6% |
International | 1,850 | 1,488 | 24.3% | 15,340 | 12,369 | 24.0% |
