Gokongwei-led budget carrier Cebu Pacific is expecting a strong rebound in the second quarter of the year, as the upward trend in passenger volume continued in April, posting an 18-percent increase.

In a statement, Cebu Pacific said it carried 2.29 million passengers by the end of April, up from 1.93 million during the same month last year.

The airline said seat offerings in the month reached 2.73 million, 20-percent higher than the previously recorded 2.27 million available seats.

This led to a slight dip in the seat load factor (SLF) from 85.1 percent to 83.1 percent. This barometer measures how many of the available seats were occupied.

Domestic passengers improved 18 percent during the month to 1.67 million from 1.47 million, with an SLF of 85.7 percent.

Meanwhile, international passenger traffic stood at 616,000, a 32-percent jump from 466,000 in the prior year. The SLF for this segment reached 79 percent.

“Passenger traffic performance remains strong with continued growth in passenger volumes and high seat load factors,” said Cebu Pacific Chief Financial Officer (CFO) Mark Cezar.

“These positive trends reinforce our favorable outlook for the second quarter,” he added.

During the first quarter, the airline reported that its net income fell by 79 percent to ₱466 million from ₱2.24 billion in the same period last year.

Cebu Pacific attributed the decline to its ongoing expansion initiative, which offset the record-high revenue of ₱30.4 billion, as well as the growth in passenger revenue to ₱21.16 billion.

“We are committed to optimizing our capacity to meet the rising consumer demand while managing engine and supply chain challenges,” Cezar said.

For the first four months of the year, Cebu Pacific saw its passenger volume grow to 9.24 million, marking a 24-percent increase from 7.44 million during the same period in 2024.

As of end-April, domestic passengers reached 6.89 million, a 24-percent hike from 5.56 million.

International passengers, on the other hand, went up 24 percent as well, reaching 2.39 million versus last year’s 1.92 million.

During the reference period, SLF averaged 85 percent, while overall seat capacity rose by 24 percent to 10.9 million.

Cebu Pacific operates in 37 domestic and 26 international destinations via a fleet of 99 aircraft.