Cebu Pacific earns PHP 9.5B on PHP 87.6B revenue

Cebu Pacific (PSE: CEB) posted a strong financial performance in the first nine months of 2025, reporting total revenue of PHP 87.6 billion — an 18 percent increase from the same period in 2024.

The budget airline attributed the growth to robust travel demand, flying 20.0 million passengers from January to September, up 14 percent year-on-year.

The carrier reported a healthy seat load factor of 84.8 percent during the period, driven by its continued recovery and fleet optimization.

Cebu Pacific delivered earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization (EBITDA) of PHP 22.2 billion, up 26 percent year-on-year and representing a 25 percent margin.

Its core income before tax more than doubled to PHP 2.9 billion, reflecting improved operational efficiency and increased flight volumes.

Additional gains from spare engines secured from the aircraft manufacturer further boosted net income, which reached PHP 9.5 billion — nearly triple the PHP 3.4 billion recorded in the same period last year.

For the third quarter alone, total revenue stood at PHP 24.3 billion, a 5 percent rise compared to the same quarter in 2024, despite a seasonal dip caused by the earlier start of the academic year.

The airline flew more than 6 million passengers in the July–September quarter, marking a modest 1 percent year-on-year increase.

EBITDA for the quarter rose 11 percent to PHP 4.8 billion, while net income reached PHP 499 million — a sharp turnaround from the PHP 173 million net loss posted in the third quarter of 2024.

Cebu Pacific’s expansion strategy was supported by an 18 percent increase in available seat kilometers, alongside an 11 percent increase in flight frequency year-to-date.

The airline continues to shift its fleet toward larger and more fuel-efficient NEO aircraft, enhancing both capacity and cost efficiency.

As of end-September, Cebu Pacific operated over 3,100 weekly flights across 124 domestic and international routes.

“Cebu Pacific delivered a strong year-to-date performance despite seasonal headwinds in the third quarter,” said Michael Szucs, Chief Executive Officer of Cebu Pacific.

“This reflects the resilience of our business model, the strength of underlying travel demand, and the discipline of our teams in managing cost and capacity amid an evolving operating environment,” he added.

“We remain committed to making air travel affordable and sustainable for everyone, while ensuring efficiency and reliability as we aim for an even stronger finish to 2025,” Szucs said.