MANILA - Cebu Pacific is planning direct flights to Mumbai, India "at some point" to tap into an underserved market, an executive for the airline said.

Cebu Pacific is seeking the reallocation of some entitlements to be able to fly to India for the first time, said Alexander Lao, president of Cebu Pacific unit Cebgo.

Cebu Pacific, the country's largest carrier, has seen growth in some routes, including Australia, while shuttering service to Qatar, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia due to competition with subsidized Middle East carriers.

Cebu Pacific is also seeking additional entitlements to Hong Kong and Bali, said its president and CEO Lance Gokongwei.

"There's really an increase in tourism. We'd like more entitlements for most destinations, but with these 2 particular routes, there's already a pressing demand for more entitlements," Gokongwei said.

Gokongwei said Airbus 330 jets have been redeployed to Hong Kong, Davao, Cebu, Korea and Japan to meet demand.

There are no immediate plans to launch direct flights to Europe and mainland United States, which would require new aircraft, he said.