Melo Villareal
Addition to the Growing Number of Destinations: Cebu Pacific to launch Manila Melbourne Flights this August
The leading carrier in the Philippines, Cebu Pacific, announces that starting August 14, 2018, there will be direct services between Manila and Melbourne, Australia (find hotels).
The seat sale starts February 27 and will end on March 3, 2018.
Manila and Melbourne. Photo shows the iconic Flinders Street station of Melbourne.
The special promo fare for the Melbourne launch is priced at PHP2,199. These flights are valid for travel from August 14 to October 31, 2018. After the seat sale, there will be a year-round low fare for travels between Manila and Melbourne that start as low as PHP9,539, which is about 50 to 60 percent lower than the prevailing fares from other airlines.
Vice President for Marketing and Distribution of Cebu Pacific, Candice Iyog, said: “We share the excitement of the Filipino community in Melbourne and Australian travelers who want to experience the Philippines. The launch of our service between Melbourne and Manila will give travelers from Australia seamless connections to other destinations in the Philippines at year-round low fares. This will enable Filipinos living in the Melbourne area to visit their families more often, and encourage more Australian tourists to spend their holidays in the Philippines.”
She also added,: “More importantly, we hope to strengthen trade between the Philippines and Australia through more cargo capacity on direct flights that are more affordable. This will benefit importers and exporters, as well as retailers bringing products in both countries.”
This is Cebu Pacific’s second destination in Australia after the launch of its direct flights from Manila to Sydney in 2014. Since its launch, tourist arrivals from the Philippines has been one of the fastest growing source markets for Australia, with an average increase of 16 percent over the past four years. Before the entry of Cebu Pacific, tourist arrivals from the Philippines was at 70,000. Since the launch in 2014, the number is steadily climbing up to 120,000.
Ambassador of the Commonwealth of Australia to the Philippines, Amanda Gorely said: “The opening of the Manila-Melbourne route is a testament to growing trade and people-to-people links. Melbourne is a great city to explore and increased flights will also bring more Australian tourists to the Philippines. This will also be welcome news to a quarter of a million Filipinos who now call Australia home, and the more than 10,000 students who travel there each year.”
Cebu Pacific will be flying three times a week, every Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday, between Manila and Melbourne with the following schedules:
| ETD (local time) | ETA (local time) | |||
| Manila-Melbourne | 5J 049 | T/TH/Sat | 605am | 350pm |
| Melbourne-Manila | 5J 050 | T/TH/Sat | 505pm | 1115pm |
Cebu Pacific is the only low-cost carrier flying directly between two countries.
The introduction of Manila to Melbourne service leads the carrier to another expansion path across the region. Cebu Pacific now boasts a network that spans over 106 routes, with 26 international and 37 domestic destinations. Cebu Pacific is also expecting in the next few weeks the delivery of its brand new Airbus A321CEO aircraft. Between the years 2018 and 2022, the low-cost carrier expects the delivery of additional brand-new aircrafts: 32 Airbus A321NEO, eight ATR 72-600, and six Airbus A321CEO.
Also See:
- Cebu Pacific Now Offers Direct Flights From Manila To Siargao
- Explore Different Places and Enjoy New Adventures With GetGo’s Travel Partners
