Before the pandemic, Cebu Pacific, the country's biggest airline by fleet size and passenger volume, flew up to 35 weekly frequencies to China, versus about seven today, leaving room for upside after visa-free entry for Chinese travelers.
They can now enter gateways in Manila and Cebu visa-free for up to 14 days starting Jan. 16, 2026.
“I think, first of all, that’s a really great development for the Philippines. Finally, it puts us at par with our Southeast Asian neighbors,” Xander Lao, Cebu Pacific president and chief commercial officer, told reporters on the sidelines of the carrier’s 30th anniversary kickoff event on Friday.
Cebu Pacific ready to relaunch more China trips
“The change in visa policy makes the Philippines more competitive,” he added.
Lao said bookings from China have yet to show a material pickup, noting the policy change is still recent but that the airline has aircraft ready if demand builds.
“It was a key market for the Philippines back in 2019, and clearly that’s something we’d love to reestablish,” Lao said.
“Right now, what we are seeing is mostly a lot of Filipinos going to China. There’s a lot more interest into China, which is great to see,” he added.
Measured growth outlook
For 2026, Cebu Pacific is guiding for capacity growth broadly in line with last year’s pace of about 10 percent.
Other demand drivers this year include the launch of Riyadh services in March and deeper hub development in Cebu, Clark, Iloilo, and Davao, Lao noted.
“I think we learned a lot of lessons from last year given all of the supply chain challenges, so we’ve baked in some of the conservatism already in our planning,” he said.
Miguel R. Camus has been a reporter covering various domestic business topics since 2009.
