The country’s biggest airline by fleet size and passengers recently struck a deal to play the pop icon’s music onboard. The licensing agreement runs for a year and covers the airline’s extensive network of flights.
It’s no coincidence that Cebu Pacific chose the global pop icon, whose 2024 Eras Tour shattered records with ticket sales topping $2 billion.
Her work resonates with a wide domestic and global audience. But it’s clear the airline has also been infiltrated by her devoted fanbase of Swifties.
Cebu Pacific president Xander Lao and chair Lance Gokongwei were spotted at the Eras Tour with their daughters.
The carrier’s corporate communications team? They split up to catch the shows in either Tokyo or Singapore.
Cebu Pacific even renamed one of its Manila–Singapore flights to 5J1989 in honor of Swift’s birth year.
“We’re the biggest carrier of Pinoys to Singapore,” a Cebu Pacific insider said. “We made sure to serve the Swifties.”
The best airlines understand how much music shapes a passenger’s mood.
An old anecdote tells of how US-based Southwest Airlines once blasted the William Tell Overture to playfully hurry passengers along.
More recently, a Cebu Pacific flyer noticed a few of his fellow passengers humming Swift’s tunes over the plane’s speakers.
Cebu Pacific is going for a more chill vibe, and it appears to be a swift hit with flyers.
Miguel R. Camus has been a reporter covering various domestic business topics since 2009.
