Budget carrier Cebu Pacific is picking up where it left off in the upward trajectory of its passenger volume, flying nearly three million travelers by the end of January.

In a disclosure to the Philippine Stock Exchange (PSE) on Friday, Feb. 13, the Gokongwei-led airline said it posted a 6.2-percent growth in its passenger traffic last month to 2.73 million from the 2.57 million recorded in January 2025.

The domestic segment rose by 5.1 percent to two million passengers compared to 1.91 million passengers a year ago.

Meanwhile, international passengers increased by 9.4 percent to 723,000 from 661,000 in the previous year.

To meet the surge in passengers for the month, which was largely influenced by the holiday season, Cebu Pacific increased its seat capacity by 10 percent to 3.27 million.

The seat load factor, which measures the percentage of occupied seats, settled at 83.6 percent.

Cebu Pacific President and Chief Commercial Officer Alexander Lao said the positive performance last month was driven by the market’s confidence in the airline and its budget flights.

“Cebu Pacific’s strong January 2026 performance demonstrates the resilience of underlying travel demand and the effectiveness of our capacity deployment strategy,” he said.

As the country’s largest carrier by fleet size, Cebu Pacific can reach 37 destinations in the archipelago and 26 cities across Asia, Australia, and the Middle East.

The airline is planning to add seven new aircraft this year, bringing its fleet size to 100.

“As we continue to optimize fleet utilization and expand seat supply, we remain confident in our ability to capture growth opportunities, enhance operational efficiency, and deliver sustained value to our customers and stakeholders,” said Lao.

After hitting a record-high 26.88 million passengers last year, Cebu Pacific anticipates passenger volume to continue growing this year as it plans to expand seat capacity by up to 10 percent.

By next month, Cebu Pacific is set to launch another long-haul flight to the Middle East to capture demand from overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) through direct flights from Manila to Riyadh.

The airline is also set to operate more domestic and international flights in Manila with the scheduled transfer of its turboprop operations to Clark.

From Clark, Cebu Pacific will add not only more flights to island destinations through turboprops, but also international routes, including the upcoming launch of direct flights from Clark to Hanoi in May.