By Emmie V. Abadilla
Cebu Pacific (CEB) is expanding its reach in mainland China and will start direct commercial service between Manila and Shenzen four times weekly — every Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday, next month, 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.
The new route is in line with the carrier’s plans to expand its route network in China to serve the increasing demand for leisure and business travel.
Shenzhen is the fifth Cebu Pacific destination in mainland China, and is the airline’s 27th international destination. Earlier, CEB has announced plans to expand in North Asia, including opening significant new routes and possible new destinations in China.
Shenzen, in Guangdong Province, is part of the booming Pearl River Delta megalopolis. The city is developing 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 also an important hub for sourcing of goods for those engaged in trade. It is likewise considered as a retail mecca for bargain-hunters.
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 most crucial commercial centers in the world," says Candice Iyog, Vice President for Marketing and Distribution of Cebu Pacific. "Our new direct service between Manila and Shenzhen will enable faster movement of people and products providing increased mobility and access in some of the fastest-growing economies in the world.”
To mark the launch of the new route, CEB soldseats on its Manila-Shenzhen flights for P1 base fare until yesterday, (June 11, 2019). Travel period is from July 1 to October 26, 2019.