Cebu Pacific eyes more flights to Korea for BTS reunion concert

Following an increase in flight entitlements between the Philippines and Korea, budget airline Cebu Pacific (CEB) is studying the viability of launching new flights going to the K-Pop nation in time for the highly anticipated BTS reunion next year.

In an interview, CEB president and chief commercial officer Xander Lao said that recent bilateral air service agreements between the Philippines and Korea have paved the way for increased seat capacities, allowing airlines to upgrade their aircraft and expand services.

Lao emphasized CEB’s continued interest in expanding its network in Korea, hopefully, to coincide with the anticipated BTS reunion next year.

Surge in travel demand

He added that the completion of mandatory military service for some of the global group’s members could lead to a substantial surge in travel demand.

BTS, of course, is the famed K-pop group that is one of the few non-Western artists to land on Billboard’s Top Rap Album’s chart. Spanning several languages including Japanese and English, the group’s music attracts a global audience. The group has sparked tourism in South Korea in a big way, with at least 800,000 visitors visiting the country for BTS alone in 2020.

Each member of the group has a staggering estimated 34 million Instagram followers on their accounts making them the most followed artists on the app; on Twitter, where the group has some 46 million followers, each of their posts gathers at least two million likes.

“Bilateral talks between the Philippines and Korea (show) that we’ve got an increase in seats. One of the ways we can increase our presence in Korea is by upgrading aircraft. We are also looking at some destinations in Korea but we are still in the feasibility stage,” Lao said.

More flights

“As of now, we have upgraded some of our aircraft already. You can see the wide bodies we use in Manila to Incheon flights, but we are looking at other cities, too. In time for the BTS reunion, we might add flights.”

In addition to Korea, Lao likewise noted that the successful negotiations with Hong Kong have also increased entitlements, allowing for more frequent flights.

However, he pointed out that the current bilateral agreements with India and Australia are still limited, restricting the ability to expand routes in these regions.

Lao stressed the need for further negotiations, particularly with Australia, where existing entitlements are fully allocated across Philippine carriers.

“If we wanted to expand into Australia, especially to cities like Sydney, Melbourne, Perth and Brisbane, there would need to be changes in the bilateral agreements,” Lao explained.

He acknowledged that while requests have been made to the Australian government, the timeline for these talks remains uncertain.

Crucial

For Lao, the expansion of these bilateral agreements is crucial for the growth of Philippine airlines, enabling them to explore new markets and increase their international presence.

Despite the headwinds, CEB remains optimistic to chart a better second half, especially after it carried six million passengers in the second quarter — the highest passenger count in a single quarter in its history.

Cebu Air said the number was 10 percent higher than the previous year fueled by the summer traffic from April to May, the school break in June, and additional frequencies in high-traffic destinations such as Cebu, Davao and General Santos.

Strong demand for regional destinations such as Hong Kong, Japan, Vietnam and Australia also contributed to the growth, added the airline.