Driven by the resilient demand across its growing domestic and international network, budget airline Cebu Pacific (CEB) flew 2.2 million passengers in June, a 7.9 percent jump from the same month last year. 

In a report on Tuesday, the Gokongwei-led budget carrier said the seat load factor (SLF) slipped to 87.5 percent from 88.3 percent even as seat capacity expanded by 8.8 percent.

Domestic passenger volume rose 7.3 percent year-on-year, with seat capacity increasing by 6.8 percent. SLF for domestic flights stood at 92.1 percent.

International traffic grew by 9.7 percent, driven by a 14.2 percent increase in seats offered. However, international SLF dropped by 3.1 percentage points to 76.1 percent.

“Despite the earlier onset of the academic calendar - moving the start of classes from late July last year to mid-June this year - passenger traffic and seat load factors remained resilient. 

Domestic demand remained strong shown by its 92 percent load factor while international traffic grew by over 9 percent as we invested in connecting cities outside Manila to more international ports,” CEB President and Chief Commercial Officer Xander Lao said.

From January to June, total passengers reached 13.9 million, a 20.8 percent increase from 11.5 million in the same period last year. 

Of the total, domestic passengers accounted for 10.4 million, up 20.4 percent, while international passengers grew 22.3 percent to 3.5 million.

Average SLF for the first half was 85.4 percent, while overall seat capacity rose by 20.6 percent to 16.3 million.