“We’ve got the scars now:” Cebu Pacific’s bold plans for 2025

Keynote Interview with Mike Szücs, CEO of Cebu Pacific Air, at Aviation Festival Asia 2025: “Making bold commitments to growth.”

Philippine low-cost airline, Cebu Pacific ended 2024 with 24.5 million passengers, an impressive 9 per cent more than its 2019 levels. In recent years, Cebu has weathered supply chain shocks, natural disasters, and engine troubles but CEO Mike Szücs has spent the last year laying the groundwork for considerable capacity growth in 2025.

Szücs highlighted the challenges of the last 18 months, including bridging operational gaps caused by Pratt & Whitney engine issues. He explained how fleet planning has become a weekly process as a result, but highlighted the agility and resilience this has benefited the leadership with saying we’ve “got the scars now.”

Beyond fleet challenges, the airline has also navigated repeated natural disasters which prompted Cebu to redefine its crisis protocol. Alongside minimising disruption, Szücs assured that communication with the customer is an absolute priority to reduce the impact on travellers.

Speaking on leveraging a start up mentality for success, Szücs added:

“We don’t have stability in our operation, we always have to be on our toes. I think that keeps us in that start up mentality all the time and I think the environment that we’re in in the Philippines and the environmental factors that we deal with means that you’re always on edge a little bit […] I think it’s keeping that edginess, that alertness, and part of that is not believing that everything’s great and it’s all going to be easy. So I’m sitting here at this moment in time saying I’ve got a good year ahead of us and we’re all set, but part of me as well is nervous about our ability to deliver it because there’s just so many things so many curveballs that can happen.”

To learn about the airline’s ambitious plans for 2025, watch the full interview below. Book your ticket now to join us at AFA 2026!

For more onsite at Aviation Festival Asia 2025 see:

• • Airline disruption: A $60b problem or a loyalty-building opportunity?
  • Emerging stronger: What’s next for SriLankan Airlines?
  • “We are the airline that refuses to die”: SpiceJet’s resilience and growth strategy

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