Cebu Pacific Is Asia’s Best Low-Cost Carrier

Cebu Pacific has stamped its dominance as one of Asia-Pacific’s best low-cost airlines, winning the highest prize in one of the aviation industry’s most prestigious award-giving bodies.

At the 2025 Centre for Aviation (CAPA) Awards for Excellence, Cebu Pacific was recognized as Asia’s Low-Cost Airline of the Year, winning in a highly competitive region for budget carriers.

The award is given to the low-cost carrier that stood out in the region strategically by putting up benchmarks and innovations on how to fly passengers with limited budget.

Cebu Pacific CEO Michael Szucs said the award inspires the airline to do better in its aspiration to boost tourism in the Philippines and in Asia-Pacific. Cebu Pacific is the largest carrier by passenger and fleet size in the country right now.

The carrier owned by the Gokongweis manages an industry-leading fleet of 100 aircraft to date. It also operates the widest domestic reach among Philippine carriers, mounting flights to 37 local destinations and 26 foreign cities.

“As we expand our reach, our purpose remains clear – to connect people and communities, and to help fuel tourism and economic growth across the Philippines and Asia-Pacific,” Szucs said.

For 2025, Cebu Pacific is cruising well into another record number of passengers, having flown nearly 20 million already between January and September.

Cebu Pacific carried a record 24.5 million passengers in 2024, and it expects to grow by at least 20 percent this year to flirt with the 30-million level.

With the holiday season coming in, Cebu Pacific is ramping up its fleet to keep up with the peak demand. First, the airline is leasing two Airbus A320s from Bulgaria Air between December and January, assigning them to high-traffic routes Cebu, Davao, Iloilo and Cagayan de Oro.

Cebu Pacific is also receiving fresh units of A330s from Airbus this November and in December. It would have 14 A330s by then, cementing its position as the largest operator of the aircraft.